JR, What you wrote about watching your boys drive away really hit home with me...it's so much more painful to be without our kids than one could ever imagine. I'm expecting a very tough day when I drop him off at the airport - though I appreciate what you said - we are great Dads - we take care of our kids by taking care of ourselves - and making sure that we don't succumb to the easy ways out of a very tough situation.
I hope you get to see your boys before Oct - Labor Day would be great - I also think it's admirable that you don't speak ill of your W - that's so important for your boys. Sometimes I find myself having to slow my S12 down when he says very negative things about my STBX (she was his stepmom, after all) - but I think he just says these things to try and protect me. Though I've done my best to keep the worst of the pain from him, there have been times when I've cried in front of him - and just let him know...actually...I wanted to reassure him that though my marriage(s) didn't work out, I still value marriage as something worth fighting for - it's just that in my situation, taking care of myself and my kids meant accepting the end of a marriage...from everything you've written about your sitch, it seems like you're handing it an honorable, good way.
Yes...memories do last a lifetime...always good to remember that.
How are things going in terms of you and your getting out and keeping busy?
