Do not let anyone walk on you. I don't advocate ever standing still while someone hurts you. Get out of the way! Absolutely. You can be compassionate and love WITH boundaries. And you are developing that skill. Don't give up. Even if she keeps walking away, Ant...you are learning a loving and decent way to deal with all of your brothers and sisters.
Hang IN there! Greek
Mornin' Greek.
It's hard to know what type of mindset to have going into this. I have compassion for her, but the legal proceedings, I suspect, will get contentious. I don't want to get walked on. She seems done with me. I hurt bad, too, as a result. It disappoints me, with all of the DB'n that I've done, and with the real and lasting changes that I've made, that she has still decided to go ahead with divorce proceedings. I have developed skills that you mention, and I think differently about things now...all for the better. I feel like she has completely walked away from me now. I know that I'm hurting and emotions are playing on me...but it seems 'done' as far as she is concerned. It plain hurts.
"Always go straight forward, and if you meet the devil, cut him in two and go between the pieces." - William Sturgis, clipper ship captain, 1830's.
