Well I'm very glad that you are choosing to be more involved with the kids these days. And I'm glad that it was important to you to be there for S11 for his birthday. It meant a lot to him to have us all there.
Choosing to be more involved!?!?!? This seems really loaded to me. I have always always always been an involved parent. I was soccer coach for every one of my kids. I have never missed a birthday, for work or any reason. I go bike riding or kite flying with them. At the beach I make sand castles with them. I make collages with my girls, and I make rockets with my boys. When I was at home, I worked on their homework with them, I made them breakfast every morning before school, and I made them pancakes on Saturday. We planted a garden in the summer. I take them skiing or sledriding in the winter. I love my kids.
Since I left the house, "to give her space," I have obviously been less involved with my family. And it's torture. I miss them sooooo much. I didn't choose to continue an affair. I didn't choose to decline to go to MC. I didn't choose to file for divorce. I do not choose to break up my family.
I guess I can find some good in her reply: she recognizes that her kids want the family to stay together.
As a consolation prize, I scored a complement (told her "it was terrific to see you") and she didn't reject me outright. Score!
I'll be satisfied with that, for today!
(I've no plans to respond to her note.)
M 43 S14 S13 D11 D7 Divorce final: Jan 2009 Making it up as I go....
