The other day I browsed in a local shoe store after my yoga class. The owner has a unique collection of shoes, boots, sandals and hats. Even so, I hadn’t found my sole mates there, (hehe) until that day.

image source; coffeecigarettesmagazines.blogspot.com

We’re all carrying at least one suitcase with us, day in, day out. It’s our baggage. It’s full of our own personal issues; lies, denial, delusions, past wrongs, blame, hope for the future.

image by Erin Smith

Oh my, it’s graduation, wedding, and recital season around the corner. This means ex encounters (of the third kind) of many kinds. Perhaps you’re on good terms with your ex, or maybe many years have passed so you have this down…if so skip down to the comments and tell us how you do it. On the other hand,  if you’re not,  you’ll need to be ready for this possible barrage of social ex encounters. 

Happy Sunday, Escapees. Today I’m over at Vishnu’s blog answering some burning divorce questions. I think you will find this an interesting interview and one worth sharing with loved ones who may be thinking about divorce right now. Here’s a snippet;

What led you to leave your marriage?

Well, I guess you won’t be surprised when I say it was multiple things rather than one event. It was many small and big things over many years that ultimately led to the demise of my marriage. I finally accepted my unhappiness at the core of my being and gave myself permission to accept that life wasn’t turning out the way I expected. I faced the fact that it had to change. I realized too that ending a marriage, knowing what we need in our life to live authentically, is a very personal matter.

image source yoganonomous

Every Saturday I attend yoga class but it’s not just any old yoga class. It’s Goddess class. Our teacher calls on one of the ancient Goddesses during class and has us all join her, while holding our Goddess pose. We may call on Kali to conquer our fears or Aditi to overcome obstacles we are facing. Goddess To The Rescue!

Just look at the power in the Goddess (Fierce) pose (pictured above). The legs, abdominal and arms all firing and increasing blood flow, generating heat and with that our own physical power.

This class is affectionately referred to as ‘Goddess class’ although it’s not named that on the schedule. Our teacher has

image source creative commons

Who’s that girl? They whisper as you walk away. “I used to know her when…” Reluctant to look you in the eye, they’ll watch you walk away. Their eyes burn your back. Talking to one another in hushed tones, they lean together conspiratorially. You would smile and say hello if only they would acknowledge you. Even so, you walk away with your head held high.

image-by-Creative-Commons-Ninha-Morandini

I’m not sure what chapter I’m in but I hope it’s somewhere in the middle. The saggy middle. That’s the part of the story where we have to continue the suspense and rising action or we’ll get bored and abandon the book. How many chapters will our life even contain? While we don’t know the answer to this, an unknown ending is what keeps us moving forward.

I was recently told “You are very much a daughter of destiny.”

It’s an interesting statement. It begs the question; Are our experiences and life-events destined or are they a result of our own decisions?

I’m delighted to introduce to you my guest today, Liv of Live By Surprise. Lively Liv as I like to call her 🙂 If you’ve been anywhere on divorce support blogs and sites you’ll likely see her name. She’s full of energy and writing all over the place because everyone wants to know what she thinks…here she is now!