What I learned from Part 1 of my story

"Take the first step in faith. You don't 

have to see the whole staircase. 

Just take the first step." 

- Martin Luther King Jr. 

I learned not to make assumptions about other people.  Sometimes we only show people what we want them to see.  What you see from people is not necessarily what's going on inside their home, their mind, their lives.  

I learned not to judge people for decisions they make that I don't understand.  I remember wondering how a woman could stay with a man that had cheated on her.  Now I get it.  The whole picture for me was beyond the choice he had made.  It was my kids, my family, my future, and so much more.

I learned to love me for me.  I found respect for myself.  I realized I deserved better and deserved to be treated better.  

I learned that I didn't need a man in my life to complete me.

I learned that I couldn't hide from my problems.  I had to deal with them.

I learned to look at all the positive things in my life - as small as I thought they were.

Most of all, I learned forgiveness.  I had to forgive myself and him and the "other woman".  To really move forward with my life, I had to forgive.  Holding onto that negativity was poisoning me, holding me back from moving forward.

I took things one step at a time.  It was all I could do.  I'm so glad I did because just when I thought my world was coming to an end and I didn't want to deal with the reality of what was happening, that's when my heart opened up to a whole new world filled with love and support.

There's so much love and support out there.  I realized when I opened myself up to it, my true friends didn't judge me - they listened.  They cried.  Some shared struggles that they were going through themselves but never talked about.  They were there for me. It was just what I needed and for that I will always be eternally grateful.

It's true that you really find out who your true friends are when you need them the most.

Part 2 on its way . . . I promise!