Last night was my niece’s graduation. It was one of those big family events. Everyone was there. Family friends, in-laws, distant cousins…
Chad and DeAnn’s daughters were there too. Their oldest—a close friend of my niece—graduates next week. I got to sit next to their youngest. (We shared my MP3 player during the boring parts.)
It’s an odd thing to get little glimpses into the path you didn’t take.
It occurred to me that their oldest’s graduation won’t have the warm comfort of belonging that my niece’s did. Will they bring their new significant others? Even if they don’t, it isn’t likely that they will be sitting there holding hands and sharing the moment like my brother and sister-in-law did.
Even so, it is possible to navigate family events post-divorce. My biggest concern is for their youngest. She didn’t smile all night except for photos. And even then, it didn’t reach her eyes.
Though I’m not sure I believe in the advice of “staying together for the children,” it occurs to me that they are well worth the emotional investment of at least trying the path of making things right.
