15 Things About Divorce Only Divorced People Will Understand

Only people who have been divorced understand how happy you can be about something that is also — for you and for many other people — devastating.

While everyone hopes (and should try) to have a peaceful divorce, it's not unusual to detest an ex . . . and people who are divorced get this!

Are people talking about your divorce again? Are they gossiping about what went wrong? People who have been through it know how the aftermath can feel a little like high school.

Being single again after committing yourself to someone else for the rest of your life is . . . complicated. Those first few months on your own are invigorating, tiring, lonely, wonderful, and sad all at the same time.

You either never have to see that pet that you really didn't like anyway ever again, or you have to lose precious time with your best friend when the kids are away. It's an awkward setup that someone who has gotten divorced or went through a breakup can really understand.

Saying goodbye after a breakup is one thing, but if you lived together, watching them pack their stuff is on an entirely different level. And packing when you're the one leaving during a divorce? Even worse. The finality of it all is something nobody can explain.

No matter how many books you read on divorce, you're never going to feel prepared enough for the moment you tell the kids. It also usually never turns out exactly as you planned, but it's best to still think about what you're going to say ahead of time.

When you thought you'd be with one person for the rest of your life and then you're with someone new, it's odd, amazing, and anxiety-inducing all rolled into one.

You're not sure how they'll react unless you know they don't like your spouse. Having to come to them with this piece of information is tough, and when you've been there, you really get how vulnerable it feels to tell your parents that your marriage is done.

People know divorce isn't easy, but people who have been divorced know that starting over can be one of the most terrifying things you ever do in your entire life. Despite the risk and uncertainty, you know it's so worth it!

Socialising and joining the world again as one can be isolating after living so long as "two."

Even if you don't want to admit it . . . a hug could make or break your day.

You have to unravel two lives that were so closely intertwined, and, unlike a clean breakup, that can take a lot of time. There can still be nastiness behind the scenes that no one else can understand quite like someone who has been divorced can.