Time For Serenity

My story has nothing to do with being an adult child of divorce .  It has everything to do with real fear.   Riding a roller coaster in the dark in one of the front seats pushed me over the edge.  Not literally,  but figuratively.  Although I was in my early twenties, I came off the "fun ride" and sat on a bench where a few elderly people were sitting.  They were probably experiencing physical reactions to being flung through the air wildly and quickly.  But I was experiencing psychological fear. And I was crying.  As embarrassing as it was, I could not control my reaction .  I was truly afraid. What is fun for one person in an amusement park may not be fun for another person. And as an ACOD, I don't mean to imply that any of it is fun for any of us.  But we all experience varying reactions that are common to all and some that are as different as we and our stories are! Fear shows up in different arenas for the adult chil...

Adult Children of Divorce blog or follow a blog for many reasons.  And most of you reading this probably know what a blog is, but those of you who don't,  it is a informal site that is a web log of sorts. A blog is an online journal which is updated with words of knowledge and experience for the world to read and respond to.  Blogs offer comment areas where readers can interact with the writer of the blog and with others who are reading the blog. A blog is a great tool for many topics, and it is a helpful resource for Adult Children of Divorce, no matter which stage we find ourselves in!!! After several months of digesting the news of my parents'  divorce after 45 years of marriage, I looked for help in any form as I sorted through so many emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental issues.  Books , and websites were few, although the ability to read about what I was going through was a tremendous lifeline.  A Divorce Care support group and...

  As you carry the burdens that come with being an adult child of divorce, think about other "boxes" and burdens that you can get rid of to lighten the load.  And don't forget to cast your cares upon God, for he cares for you!!  1 Peter 5:7  The load is lightened when He is helping to carry it!!!

Dear Schwarzenegger Children, True identity, the failure of memory, and total recall are themes of one of the movies your father was in, and I would imagine it is a theme you are dealing with as you try to figure out the truth and the lies in your family story. I have been there too. By nature of being children of a celebrity, politician, actor, and a man with an unbelievable personal life story,   the issues surrounding your parent’s marriage are so very public.   There are others like you, who are adults, or soon to be adults, whose parents are divorcing amidst difficult real-life drama.   You are not alone. Our situations just are not so well known to the world. Your family name is so very recognizable, but even for those of us whose names are not, there is a sense of uneasiness now when someone asks our family name, which in my case is my maiden name.   I wonder if they know my father and what he did to contribute to my family’s breakdown.   ...

A prayer of perspective for Adult Children of Divorce: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. --Reinhold Niebuhr

A blog for Adult Children of Divorce is an ever changing thing.  It is  like the lives of ACODs everywhere.  Some things stay the same, other things change with time. After realizing that a new format will give you readers a chance to access the drop down tab on the top left where it says "side bar"   ,   the blog has a new look!!  I am hoping you will use the drop down the side bar choices  and choose a page that shows all the post titles ( I think there are 48 now?) .  That will give you a chance to see all that you can read about at one time.  I hope this is helpful. There are all the other features, but you may need to  hover your mouse over the categories vertically showing icons on the right side of the page . Explore the new format and hopefully you will find all the old things you liked and some new things that help you navigate the site too!  :) Don't forget to use the white search box in the upp...

Profound statements come from the mouths of adult children of divorce. Just recently while talking with someone going through the beginning stages of a parental separation the statement was made   " What used to be simple, isn't simple anymore". I couldn't help but think how profound and deep that statement is to those whose lives have changed drastically in the aftermath of our parents divorce. Planning a family gathering,  making a phone call,  sending a card, looking through photos, just to name a few things,  aren't ever the same again. Today I don't have alot to add to that thought.  Just that what used to take little thought or effort, now takes alot of insight and work.  Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed by the perseverance needed now.  Take heart,  it becomes easier as time goes on , in some ways.   We also can treat our relationships in a way that helps them become more simple again , as we define our own c...