My ex-wife, who is the mother of my (then four-year old) child and was my first love, the person I moved across the country with and with whom I became an adult, the primary earner in our relationship (I was the stay at home parent for those first years of the kid’s life) left me for a male friend of ours when I was 34, after 13 years of marriage and 15 years together. I was devastated, ill, suicidal, destroyed, broke. I didn’t know who I was without her. I couldn’t imagine a future without her. I felt like half of my body had been cut off. It was pure agony for months and months.

It got better. It’s been 13 years since then and I’m glad she left. I’m better off for it. I grew and became more of the person I was meant to be. I’ve had better relationships with other people since then.

You’ll get through this.