ABSTRACT
Preface: A therapist/writer friend of mine shared that she had recently experi-
enced the loss of her ex-spouse and how deeply it had affected her. Coincidentally,
my ex-husband had died a few months prior, and I was still mourning that loss. We
talked about our feelings and the disenfranchisement of ourselves as ex-spouses.
She proposed the idea of forming a group for people in our situation who might
want to share their stories. Before this plan could take shape, she sent me the
submission call for “Stories by Surviving Ex-Spouses.” I was interested, but
intimidated. The thought of writing my story, let alone one written “as fiercely,
honestly and personally as you can make it” (from the Call for Submissions),
seemed overwhelming. But, rather than dismissing the proposal, I let it simmer.
I had already expressed my grief by writing a poem. That process had been a
release. But on some level, I was aware that I was not finished with the grieving.
