Agreed. I think this will be a life work. I imagine that 20 years from now my ex will still be able to say or do things that create an emotional response. Just like anyone else in the world can if they say the right thing, and she’ll always know how to tweak me. In this case, she is taking them on the vacation that I had planned for me and the kids before I could do it. Not too cool, but I’m glad the kids will get to go. I’ll plan something else.
Scott, I'm only 11yrs out, and my ex would have a hard time finding a button to push unless she hurt our kids, and fortunately, she's not a narcissist. I have several friends divorced for a decade who are in a similar boat. Rest assured there is an end date. Getting over an ex doesn't need to be a lifelong process. With therapy, it could be sooner. (:
I'm not sure what to make of the "anyone else in the world" statement. As a public figure, I've had complete strangers tell me they hate me over decisions I've made, and I didn't assign much emotional weight to that.
