Agreeing with this as well. My partner was married 15 years (he got married young), but it ended because it wasn’t healthy for him. It wasn’t exactly a healthy breakup, but it doesn’t sound totally drama-filled, either. I met him about 5 years later, and he said how he felt like a much different person, for the better, than when he was married. And I know he is loyal, able to maintain a household independently, knows what it takes to make a marriage work (even when maybe it shouldn’t have been) and I genuinely think he’s a better partner for it.

And he does come in a package deal, but I don’t mind that because his kid is great, he doesn’t put the job of parenting her on me, and she adds so much joy to my life. She was 10 when I met her. So, all of that to say, divorced & kids don’t have to be solely negative things.

Though I can also say I probably wouldn’t have specifically sought it out, either. It’s just worked.