Just One More "Upside of Divorce" (for now...)

As I said before, there are many, many more upsides of divorce/separation than there are downsides. I've added a few here in the last few posts and they can be small and large, short and long ones too.
This one is about getting a break as a single parent when the ex-partner has them for a couple days or the weekend. I actually found many with this topic, but wanted to share this good one by Jen.
Enjoy,
Brian Daniel


The upside of divorce
Posted on November 21, 2008 by Jen
It has been brought to my attention on occasion that I am just a bit too giddy at the notion of me time, as in time away from my children. They say this, I believe, because I sometimes jump in the air and click my heels together in sort of of a leprechaun manner when their father picks them up for a weekend. Or I have been known to cackle when I know a span of time is approaching and they will all be someplace other than under my supervision. Apparently the older two take these actions personally and hold me accountable for their anguish. To this I say, “Boo effing hoo. Not true.”
If I am being honest I have to admit that the thought of not mediating between a hostile teen and a diva-ish tween is a pleasant one. As is the concept of not being Devon’s hand servant for any length of time. But as I have come to discover over the years, there is more to this mothering thing than hovering and serving. I actually like them, which I sometimes believe is more of a test than loving them. I will always love them unconditionally to the depths of my soul, but like? Different thing all together.
Another truth is that more often than not when I am away from my children I am at a loss. It is sort of like wearing a new pair of super cool pants that fit my hind region perfectly only to discover they have no front pockets, which leaves me looking like an uber ass when all I am striving for is cool chic. Because when I am without my children for any time span of more than a few hours I begin to feel itchy in the hand area, I simply haven’t the faintest idea of what to do with them. So it isn’t the reality of being child-free that pumps me up so, it is the idea of it. The thought that I could pick up and go anywhere without having to pack snacks and make sure there are a sufficient number of seat belts in the car. The concept of absolute freedom without explaining a single thing to another person. These ideas are what fire me up when I fantasize about two days without my brood. But the reality is that after about 90 minutes of just my voice in my head I start to wonder where they are and if perhaps maybe I should turn on the ringer of my cell phone just in case they need me to come to wherever they might be.