Wednesday, December 24, 2014

the most wonderful time?

 
Happiest Holidays to all of you who have read I Guess We’re Through since we launched it last month.  I’m blown away by the support, the sweet comments, the private, heartfelt messages, and the Facebook “likes” and “shares.”

This new venture, a collaboration with my fellow Fashion Police colleage, Raquel Kelley, moved from the back burner to the front after we lost our fearless, fierce, off-the-charts funny, huge-hearted leader, Joan Rivers. Being abruptly unemployed allowed me the time to make this blog happen. It’s the window that opened after the door sadly closed.
I firmly believe that there’s always going to be a window. Sometimes you’ll need to chip off the paint to pry it open, but it’ll be there. Joan knew that all too well and as you can see, she’s up there looking over us as we practice what she preached!



So if the “hap-happiest season of all” seems like the “crap-crappiest season of all,” just know that this too shall pass. Hold your head up high, celebrate what you have, and toast to all the love in your life. That’s what I’ll be doing!

Warm wishes from my family and me for a happy, healthy holiday, filled with lots of love!




Wednesday, December 17, 2014

my rock



What a rock I had! It was absolutely gorgeous, shiny, brilliantly bright and larger than life! I was constantly complimented on it and I could tell some people even envied what I had. My rock made me feel good. All I had to do was glance at it and I knew just how much I was loved. Lest anyone think I’m referring to the dazzling sparkler that once adorned my ring finger, I’m not! My rock was my mother.

Every girl (and probably every guy) needs a rock, regardless of how tough you think you are, or how amicable and smooth you think the divorce process will be. Whether it’s a mother, aunt, sister, or friend, find someone to hold you up when you’re about to plummet... and someone who’ll pick you up when you do.

Here’s what a rock does:

  • She makes you meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas and delivers them to your house in time for dinner so you don’t have to lift a finger.
  • She takes your kids for an afternoon or a sleepover so you can have a little break.
  • She goes with you to interview attorneys.
  • She calms your raw nerves while sitting shotgun as you drive to the courthouse.
  • She tells you to meet her at her nail shop and surprises you with a spa pedicure.
  • She bellies up to the bar with you to toast your triumphs or drown your sorrows.

My rock did that and so much more. My victories were hers. My defeats cut her to the core. Divorce hurts, but your rock helps you heal. Mine certainly did.

Today is my mother’s birthday. Under normal circumstances, we’d be eating popovers with strawberry butter, and drinking Champagne at our favorite department store cafe. But things aren’t normal anymore because she’s not here. My mother passed away in July of 2012, one month after my divorce was finally final. She was strong for me and taught me how to be a fighter. Even though she could be as tough as nails, she was no match for breast cancer. I wouldn’t say it got the best of her, because I got the best of her. I got her time. I got her devotion. I got her strength and I got her love, and not even the cancer could take that away.



My best advice is to find a rock! Take it from someone who doesn’t accept help comfortably, you don’t want to go at this alone! Let someone in. Let someone love you, take care of you, feed you, comfort you, hold you, laugh with you, drink with you, and cry with you. If no one’s knocking on your door, go out and knock on theirs! Find your diamond when times are rough, and when you do you will have the most precious gem of all... just like I did! 


Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you more!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

worth a thousand words



Long before malls were dotted with the Picture People, before families dressed in jeans and white button-down shirts and said “cheese” on the beach, before Tiny Prints, there was the Sharell Family Christmas card.

It all started when I was four. My mom and I were twins, dressed like real-life cameo brooches. Over the years, my brothers donned Mickey Mouse sweaters, and we paid homage to movies like Urban Cowboy, and my all-time favorite, The Breakfast Club. That’s me above, striking Molly Ringwald’s pose from the movie’s poster. Epic!

It was no easy feat. My mother left no rack unturned as she scoured department stores for the perfect outfits. Armed with bottles of hairspray, brushes, makeup, and wardrobe changes, we’d head to Hollywood for our photo shoots. These were arduous sessions that lasted for hours with my mother shouting “big eyes, BIG EYES” so we wouldn’t squint.

It didn’t stop there. Next came the proofs, the graphic design, and finding the perfect saying for inside the card. My mother found it impersonal not to include a note, so she’d be up till all hours writing. Envelopes were addressed by hand and given the right stamp -- the Madonna and Child for our Catholic friends, and a holiday stamp for all others. Finally, they’d be on their way!

Did I want to deal with this massive aggravation, ridiculous stress, the meticulous detail, the expense, and added work when I had a family of my own? HELL YES!!!

My family’s card said we were happy. It showed how much we’d grown, how cute my youngest brother had gotten, and how big we could make our hair! But MY card would pull double duty. It would say Happy Holidays AND “We’re Married,” “There’s a Bun in the Oven,” and “Baby Makes Four!” 



There would be only one card, though, with both my children and their parents. By the time Christmas rolled around the following year, I had already been separated for two months. Though I was in no mood for Christmas, I sent a card with pictures of the kids and signed it from both my soon-to-be ex and me. That bought me time -- time to figure out what was going on in my marriage, time to avoid having anyone speculate or ask. My inner circle was privy to what was going on and that was enough.

The following year, I sent a card with a picture of my kids, but I only signed their names and mine. Tricky, right? That was my subtle way of saying it's over. Only those who paid attention to detail would get it.

Then one year I decided that's it! I was ready to let my world know, loud and clear, that we were a party of three. Full disclosure -- my friend happened to have taken a killer shot of the kids and me at a party! Nonetheless, it was a brave move that said so many things -- it said he’s literally no longer in the picture. It said we had nothing to hide or be ashamed of, that we’re still happy, and that we’re moving on. Did tongues start wagging? You bet your ass, but that happens when split happens, regardless!



These days I Nancy Reagan it and “just say no.” No to the hassle, no to the photo shoots, the design, the special stamps, the post office. It’s freeing, really -- the pressure of creating a card worthy of my family’s legacy is gone. I have too much on my plate right now to worry about what this year’s Christmas card will really be saying, so I’m done. Now, if we happen to take an off-the-charts, super-cute picture… well, that’s another story!





Wednesday, December 3, 2014

got gas?


My ex-husband loved himself a good fire in the fireplace -- the kind that crackles, warms the cockles, and makes the house smell all log-cabiney... the kind that’s a pain in the ass to build and maintain. He always did the dirty work and I appreciated the fruits of his labor. At the same time, I also wanted to be able to walk through the door, flip a switch, and (poof!) have a roaring fire at my fingertips. Gas logs were out of the question… until he moved out. One call to my handyman and I was in business.

It was a home improvement laden with symbolism. Getting gas logs meant I was calling the shots, I was in control and could do with my house what I wanted. It meant that I no longer had to compromise, and that while I was losing many things, I was also gaining a different kind of independence.

On a cool fall night, I poured myself a glass of Cabernet, lit my fake fire, and got out a legal pad of paper. At the top I wrote, “What I Hate About You,” and proceeded to write down all those things that bugged... the stuff I put up with and wouldn’t miss, things like:

  • What your lower lip looks like when it’s stuffed with chewing tobacco
  • How you insisted on buzz cuts when I loved your hair long
  • The Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirts that you still wear even though 1988 is OVER!
  • How you’re still involved with your fraternity, thought you graduated decades ago 
  • That you sleep naked!  Hello?  What if there's an earthquake?
  • That you own and proudly wear a Speedo… in PUBLIC!
I ripped each item off in strips, rolled it in a ball, thought about how much it annoyed the hell out of me, then tossed it in the fire and watched it burn. That lacked a little of the drama I was going for since I was dealing with a gas fire, but nonetheless, it eventually burned. And with it, a piece of my pent up anger went, as well.

Each time I turn the key to light my fireplace, I feel empowered. “My Way” plays in my head because that’s how I can do things now. Regrets? I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention… but mention them I will, because split happens.


 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

we're those people

Thanks a lot, divorce! You’ve thrown a crimp into one of my most time honored traditions! When it came to Thanksgiving, my ex-husband and I had always alternated years with each other’s families. It worked so well when we were married that we kept it going after we separated. But just when it appeared that I’d orchestrated a seamless transition, my mother announced that she wasn’t cooking dinner on the years that I didn’t have the kids.

There would be no over the river and through the woods. There would be no brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends gathered round the long dining room table. The over-sized ceramic platter with the turkey on it would stay buried in the back of the cabinet for yet another year because we were now going to be one of those families, the kind that go to a restaurant for Thanksgiving -- the kind I always felt sorry for because they didn’t get to have a home-cooked meal, because they didn’t get to break a loaf of white bread into little pieces for stuffing while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in their pajamas, because the crevices of their homes wouldn’t smell of turkey and the myriad of trimmings, because they couldn’t wear slippers at the dinner table and linger over dessert and watch TV in the family room and have leftovers.

It was weird not to wake up early and start cooking, so I went for a run… my own personal turkey trot. I ran past houses where there were lots of cars parked in driveways, and I convinced myself that they were all having the Rockwell Thanksgiving that I was being deprived of.

That evening, I reluctantly slipped on a fancy dress and heels, and climbed into the backseat of my dad’s car. Even though I was in my 30‘s, I felt like I was 15. I sat in the middle, scooted up to the edge, and leaned my elbows on the front seats so I wouldn’t miss anything. But I was missing something -- my kids and my parents’ bustling house. It’s funny though, once we got to the restaurant and the waiter popped the cork on a bottle of champagne, I started to warm to the idea of being served, of not having to make sure the turkey, gravy, and 42 side dishes were ready at the same time and still piping hot, of not having to get up from the table 20 times to run to the kitchen for something someone wanted, of not eating to the brink of explosion, and of not having to wash a single plate!

It wasn’t what we wanted, but it’s what we made work. And now, it’s a tradition. Every other year, we’re those people -- those people who order from a menu, and you know what… I’m thankful for that! I’m thankful for the people still gathered at that table. I’m thankful that my ex and I hatched a plan that works for our kids. I’m thankful for the memories of my childhood Thanksgivings, and I’m thankful that every other year I don’t have to wash dishes... and that every other year, I do!


Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Plug Problems

Because misery loves company, and because other people’s stories often make us feel as if our own aren’t as horrible or unique as we think, there’s “Uncoupling Confessions.” Share your stories, vent your frustrations, air your piles of dirty laundry, because we’re in this boat together... and because split happens!

Check out our first anonymous confession to kick it all off...
There had been several small signs that my husband’s priorities were shifting. We had been married over 20 years, and had three children. He had been living in a different state for several months, due to a job relocation, while I remained in our family home waiting for our oldest child to graduate high school. At that time we were to join him, and live together as a family again.
 

I was the one who received all the bills, including the credit card bills. When I saw that he had purchased a $250 leather jacket, a few alarm bells rang in my head. That was completely out of character for him, because I typically bought all of his clothing since he hated shopping. In any case, I chalked it up to a mid-life crisis need on his part to feel more hip as a 50 year old man. There were other, minor purchases that I questioned, but again nothing terribly out of the ordinary.
 

Then the day came when I opened the Visa bill like usual, and I truly couldn’t believe my eyes…..there was a charge for over $10,000, (that’s right $10k!!!!!) for a hair replacement, yes a hair replacement!!! Mind you, at this point we already had approximately $40,000 in credit card debt, due to his unemployment for a year prior to his moving. You can only imagine the phone call that transpired when I fully grasped what I had seen on the bill
 

His reaction was not at all what I expected; he actually wanted me to feel sorry for him as “he was in so much pain” because they had put “hundreds of needles” into his scalp!!! Really now, I had always been an extremely patient and understanding person but obviously this was too much! 

As you can imagine, it wasn’t too long before I filed for divorce as it became crystal clear he was no longer interested in being a husband and father, and quite enjoyed being a bachelor once again. By the way, on the infrequent occasions when I do see him, I can’t help but secretly smile, because you can clearly see the small dark plugs in his scalp that caused him so much pain!

Have any Uncoupling Confessions of your own? Share it on I Guess We're Through anonymously! Email your stories to janine@iguesswerethrough.com


 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Coming Soon!

We've covered weddings and babies, but now lets talk about something everyone can relate to -- breakups!

Coming soon, we welcome I Guess We're Through to our blog family!

Stay tuned everybody!