Shocked and Mismayed

Today at lunch I ran into a classmate of William's from high school. We got to know this family during the three years or so the boys played soccer together. I think around junior year this friend quit soccer to focus more on school and other activities that could help get him a scholarship for college.  I had not seen him in probably a year - and haven't seen his mom in about two  - maybe even three - years.

But I was shocked at what he told me....  He basically flunked out of college (even though he's really smart!), had no plans at the moment to go back, and his parents has split up. She living in another part of the state, the father in Texas, and he stayed here and was living with his grandmother and was working.

Frankly, I pretty much lost my appetite for my lunch.

I don't know what happen between this couple...didn't know them well enough to say what type of relationship they had...but just find it very sad....upsetting... This is the third couple that I know that have called it quits just this summer.

It mystifies me how some make their marriages work, but others don't. While it takes two to make a marriage work, it really only takes one to walk away.  I've seen friends fight with everything in them to save a marriage only to have the partner throw it all away. Other friends get totally blindsided when the spouse walks out.  And I have to admit,  Drew and I have a few friends that we are totally amazes they are still together at all!

But however a marriage ends, the end always saddens me....and my heart breaks for both parties. And especially for the kids involved.  Divorce scars run deep.

I tell my kids that they have a special legacy with not only their parents still married (in December Drew and I will celebrate 26 years), but both sets of grandparents have been married for over fifty and even sixty-five years of marriage. Also, both of my grandparents celebrated over fifty years.  Such a special legacy...not many have this today....and not this young man  that I saw today...the divorce scars are new to him...and very apparent today....he seemed a little lost... I'll be praying he finds his way.