Personal Narrative Essay: The Story Of Divorce

The night my husband proposed to me was full of family, good food and wine, but it was also one full of anxiety. His family was uncomfortable with me, and I with them. I don 't believe anyone truly wanted us to get married, and his mother was wrought with nerves. His brother and pregnant wife felt confused, and torn . Yet, we sat down, we smiled, we drank, we ate, and ignored the silent accusations permeating through the air. To truly understand, I would have to take you back, about a year, to the divorce of my first husband. We had gotten married at a young age and we were just short of one decade, and three children in. The reasons for the divorce are not the story here, just that after many unhappy years I decided to break free. So, here

I was supportive of her troubled marriage and kept my turmoil to myself, she never saw my divorce coming, many did not. She was having some trouble adjusting to my divorce, and in retrospect, I believe she was jealous. The nice young man who came to talk to me, was the third brother of the groom, the only single one. We talked and drank for hours and I began to find myself again, the girl I had put away in the dark corners of my mind. The night ended and we all went home alone, but I could not get him off my mind. A few days later we agreed to meet up for some drinks, and one date led to another, I felt alive and respected and in love. We came out as a couple, and Jeannie did not take it well. We stopped talking and she spread malicious, false rumors about me, ones the family believed, as she was family, and I was not. As things progressed and we moved in together it became time to meet the family. At this point in time Jeannie and her husbands issues had become more public, and the family was beginning to see a side to her they did not

We were certain we wanted to get married eventually, but others were still confused. Having to weigh the slander and rumors they had heard, against the woman sitting in front of them, became increasingly more difficult. Jeannie 's credibility had taken a hit, no one knew what to believe anymore. I smiled though the meal and hoped that time would help them see me clearly. Once desert was served, I was itching to leave, politeness dictated I had to stay for a short while. Out of no where, in front of his mother, brother and sister- in – law he gets on his knee and proposes. My mind was racing, of course I wanted to marry this man, but not like this, not with hostile eyes on me, judging me. Having spent to long unhappy, I shook it off, what did it matter how they felt, this man wanted to marry me. Apprehensively, I agreed, his mother threatened my life if I should hurt him, and we returned home. Since that day, there have been many meals, but now they are filled with genuine laughter, people I call family, and all those I love dearly. Those uncomfortable days, now a thing of the past, as is Jeannie. Her toxicity eradicated, we are thriving, and his mom is now a step-grandma, and a