12 Degrees of Seperation

Marriage has always been central to most civilization and culture, and there is evidence that divorce has just as long a history, with its beginnings in the distant past.

Comedian Robin Williams famously said the word divorce is, "from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet." 

While this is obviously humor, the word does have Latin origins and is related etymologically to divert,  in the sense of separating things.

When looking at an updated dictionary for a definition we get:

di·vorce

–noun

1. A judicial declaration dissolving a marriage in whole or in part, especially one that releases the husband and wife from all matrimonial obligations. Compare judicial separation.

2. Any formal separation of husband and wife according to established custom.

3. Total separation; disunion: a divorce between thought and action.

As the first 2 are obvious, let's try to focus on the 3rd. definition - Total separation, disunion between things.

The following are some commonly disunions that are not being commonly dealt-with and neglected while divorcing. We simply seem to forget how to divorce between -

Old -New

Lonesomeness - Freedom

Peer-pressure - True will

Acting - Being

Victimizing - Dealing

Social - Personal

Revenge - Taking positions

Responding - Deciding

Past - Future

Drama - Reality

Ego – Real need

Well?

  

"....First, put your Oxygen mask on, only then assist your child with his....."

Well, our parental instinct is to jump over our children, take immediate care of all their needs, then, if we still have time, we might get into some self attendance.  Right?

Now, let's take a closer  look at the first post-divorce period, are we really serving them best while  going for a "let's take care of the kids first" approach? or should we, as responsible parents, put  our "oxygen mask' on, take a good long inhaling breath and only then go for theirs? 

Share your thoughts and comment.

Adam