I took a lot away from your post about not pretending the bad stuff never happened. The ol' sweep it under the rug technique. It doesn't work well for me either, and just builds up negative emotions.
I'm glad to see you are getting comfortable again and were able to ask about a date. I wasn't comfortable with that either, but it turns out I was right for not being be.
I know my parents' divorce was tough on me, right as I turned 16. Luckily my grades never suffered, but their sitch was over and done with in 6 months, with no floundering on anything. I hope they continue to improve and stay steady with their schoolwork. Obviously these situations bring stress that adults can't handle, so it's going to be hard on a child or teen.
And I really liked DNJ's post about seeing behind the curtain, is it a blessing or a curse. I guess there's positives and negatives to lots of things. Our dispositions determine our outcomes.
H 34 W 29 BD 3/12/18 Divorce Busted Spring 19
It is not things that bother us, but the stories we tell ourselves about things.
