Diary of a Divorcee – Chapter Two
“Mom, why did you break up?”
A small question from a little child.
A seemingly simple question,
But one that goes deeper than any other question.
He asked me this one day, almost randomly.
We’re in the car, coming back from school.
I stop at a traffic light, and he asks, almost in a whisper:
“Mom… why don’t you and Dad live together anymore?”
And even though I knew this moment would come,
And even though I thought in advance what I would say,
At that moment – everything was forgotten.
Dry mouth.
The hands on the steering wheel were shaking.
And only silence filled the car.
How do you answer such a question?
How do you explain to a child that his whole world has been shaken,
That it’s not his fault,
That has nothing to do with him,
That we are still a family – even if not like we used to be?
In the end I said what my heart dictated,
Not what I wrote in advance in the notebook.
I told him:
“Because sometimes, mom and dad can’t get along.”
And it’s not because we didn’t like it.
And it’s not because you did anything wrong.
It’s simply because life sometimes takes us to different places.”
He was silent.
Look outside.
Then he said quietly – “But I love you both.”
And my heart was split in two.
This wasn’t the hardest moment in the divorce –
But that was the most revealing moment.
Because suddenly you’re not just dealing with your brokenness,
But also with the brokenness in the little eyes in front of you.
And you have no way to wrap it up perfectly.
There are no words that can erase the pain.
There is only honesty.
And love.
And lots of hugs.
Then I realized something important:
I don’t need to protect him from the truth.
I need to lead him through it.
To be his example –
To be able to get through a crisis,
And stay whole.
Not perfect. Complete.
From that day on, I decided to talk to the children at eye level.
Don’t share details with them – but feelings.
Not to burden – but to contain.
Not to deny reality – but to give it space.
And it helped.
them.
And me.
If you are in this right now – in the questions, the silences, the look in your child’s eyes –
I just want you to know:
You’re doing the best you can.
And that’s enough.
Even when you feel lost,
Even when you think you were wrong in every sentence –
They see you.
We feel you.
And if you are real, they will know they are protected.
In the following chapters I will tell you about the first time I signed a divorce agreement.
About the fear of the court.
And about the small victories – of a woman who learns to believe in herself again.
Contact us – the new path starts here
077-997-4020
sharon.segal1@gmail.com
divorced.co.il
The office is located in Tel Aviv, Netanya, and Haifa.
