A Way to Cope

When I was going through my divorce years ago I picked sketching back up to help me cope. At first I started creating ridiculous comic book style characters to poke fun at all the ridiculous scenarios I personally experienced as well as stories others had shared with me. It was funny for a while, a silly kind of gallows humor with over the top villains and heroes who step in when an ex is behaving in a ridiculous manner. As the divorce dragged on, things escalated, I was worn down, with the things I was dealing with, after a while it all stopped being funny, even became a bit triggering for me. I never finished the story. However, creating it did help me process what I going through and to look at things in a different light.

This particular picture isn't part of the comic series. It's from after I stopped creating the comic, when everything felt heavy. I hadn't actually wanted to blow up our lives. I just wanted to be treated with dignity and respect, to feel safe and supported. None of that was being offered at the table despite years of begging as things gradually deteriorated further and further so I left. If that's where you find yourself, please know that you don't have to go it alone.

Whether it's journaling, sketching, song writing, punching a heavy bag (highly recommend that one), joining a local support group, find little ways to express your grief and anguish at the situation.