Thinking of you all at Thanksgiving.
 

Checking in, to report that I have kept my no contact with ex. The last time I spoke with him was over a month ago, when he violated the restraining order by calling me. I recorded that call and he was arrested again. It has been all quiet since.

In other news I last posted about the new man in my life the day after our first date. Six weeks later it's still early but he continues to be Mr. Wonderful. He does not smoke or drink. Brings me flowers/opens my doors/calls when he says he will. He is a widower who has a daughter who is 3 months younger than my daughter. We have enjoyed getting to know each other while taking things slowly. He has the same religious beliefs as me and really makes his daughter a priority. My daughter is travelling with my parents for the holiday, and I will spend Thanksgiving with Mr. Wonderful's family. Pies are in the oven right now, I'm saying a prayer that they turn out good.

So I spent last Thanksgiving with my Grandma, but the one before that was BAD.

I had made a beautiful thanksgiving feast and ex's mother, brother, and brother's girlfriend were there. As I was finishing dinner in the oven, his father called, to say that he was on his way and was planning an intervention, and needed to have us all on board. Then ex's brother clued him in on his dad's plan and all hell broke loose. He had not drank for a week and had promised me that all of my hard work would be rewarded with an awesome thanksgiving, but when his brother told him about the impending "intervention" he left the house and came back trashed.

When his father arrived it went from bad to worse, and instead of eating the most beautiful dinner I ever made, he wound up getting into a physical fight with his brother, grabbing his dad's phone and throwing it into the sink. And then the cops arrived, and arrested him for battery and destruction of property. And codie me packed thanksgiving dinner back into the fridge and CODIE ME went to bail him out.

So why am I rehashing this? I'm not sure. Maybe to remind myself that I've come a long way. I am thankful for the peace that I found through hitting the reset button of life. Whether or not I spend the holiday with my grandmother or nurturing a new and healthy relationship, I am thankful for peace in my heart, and no feeling of impending doom at all times.

And I am thankful to all of you here that offered me support, encouragement, and experience. I was never alone, even through all of my slips and sad days and backpeddling, you were all here for me.

I know holidays are something that many people who read here aren't looking forward to. My prayer for you is that however you find your progress, you will have peace this Holiday.

Love
X

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday weekend.

I am thankful that you found peace and are avoiding the craziness this year.

Guessing all those slips and back peddling got to this place as it is all about learning how change and then maintain the change.

Thank you for posting and your prayers. They are appreciated. I have been privately reliving and rehashing but these experiences only help us to learn and grow so that we can have different outcomes.

I am so glad to hear you are doing well. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I just know your pies are going to turn out yummy!!! :hug: