Hope is up to you. Not trying to be simplistic, but it really is.
I'm glad things are civilised. So much easier to deal with the ending of a marriage if you're not at each others throats about every little detail. Be grateful for that at least.
And you're right about the peace that you will experience. Thank God I did not have to live with my wandering ex spouse. There are too many difficult stories on this board about those who have. Use the time apart to restore your strength, your confidence, your direction. Don't allow yourself to sit around and wallow in the mire.
This hope you talk about can be watered and nurtured.
You do that by becoming a man of substance again. You do that by exorcising the demons of the bad times, putting them to rest, and stepping out in faith that what's ahead can still be pretty damned good.
If you want to hope, none of these DB ideas should wander far from you. You will see your ex, often perhaps. What she should see each time is a clearer and clearer image of the confident and vibrant man that she once married.
Yes, there can always be hope.
Blessings,
Bill
"Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon."
