I’m sure you’ve seen something similar happen to someone you know. A nice married couple starts having problems after being together for a number of years. Things escalate, divorce comes, mom is left with no work history or education and children to take care of. Have I got Your attention!
Kathy is 34 years old, married 11 years with 5 children newborn to 15 years old. She quit work after her second child to become a stay at home mother, taking care of everything. She did the laundry, grocery shopping, kept the house clean, went to Church, did activities, took care of her husband, and cooked 3 meals a day. She did all those things with a smile on her face, never complaining. Jay never really got involved with the kids. He wouldn’t go to church, or attend any sporting events they were in.
They had their problems, but despite everything over the years Kathy decided she would hang in for the long haul. She did this with out batting an eye. Kathy always felt no matter the situation it was better to stay together for the children. Never once did she think she was her own worst enemy by doing so.
Last year after 11 years of marriage Kathy and Jay got divorced. Kathy wanted to do the RIGHT thing and keep a good relationship with the father. She had no intentions of taking him to the cleaners. They agreed to work everything out on their own and file a non contested divorce. In doing so Jay took full advantage of her kindness. The divorce left Kathy to do everything her self, including trying to find a job after nearly 10 years with no work history or college experience to speak of. All this made it very difficult for her to procure a decent job.
Several months later with no health insurance due to the divorce, Kathy makes her way to the doctors office. After running several test they discover she has MS. Not only does she have MS, but she’s had it for several years. For close to 7 years the doctor’s misdiagnosed the illness .
Kathy has kept on, never giving up. She starts each day relentless on finding a good job. She is the strongest woman I know.
To all the women out their who don’t have a degree, some kind of schooling, or background; Get one. We must take care of ourselves. Invest in yourself and get schooling. Don’t forget make sure you have health insurance, and your own bank account. Let’s face it; you never know what’s going to happen. If you ever find yourself in the middle of a divorce get legal help, especially if children are involved. There are laws in place to help protect you. Be smart.
