moving on

[Ahoy]

raliced, yes, the lawyer said it was okay to handle it as a dissolution and keep it amicable, so I was relieved not to have to file for divorce with grounds and all that. Of course, I'm bracing myself for rough patches that may arise as we hammer out the agreement, but it's really just logistics at this point. With any luck, we can finalize the dissolution by mid-March, assuming H doesn't drag his feet. A lot of what held me back was fear -- fear of being alone, fear of the financial issues, fear of H trying to take everything away from me. Then I realized that he had already taken everything that I really valued (family, security, love), so I really don't have much to lose at this point! There's money, but it's just money. And there's time with my daughter, but he's already taking that, and I know he wants what is in her best interest, so I believe, based on what he's said so far, that he will let me take her with me when I relocate, and he will have her for summers and holidays. It's not ideal for D14, but this is the path he has chosen, and I have to make the best of it for me and my daughter. Fear isn't holding me back anymore. I'm choosing to embrace this new direction in my life and learn and grow from the experience.