One of the happy side effects of undergoing a major life transition is that people feel comfortable sharing their own stories. As I began to hear some of the love and marriage stories from the people in my life, I was shocked to find that many of them had been through divorce and love trauma in a former, yet unrevealed, life. I heard the stories of betrayal, loss, and despair, yet I could look at their lives, filled with joy and, in many cases, a new relationship that had persisted over many years.
In those dark days when I wondered if I could ever love again, I found inspiration from my love mentors. When I felt discouraged that I spent 16 years heading to a dead end, I gazed upon the decades many of them had spent with their new loves. I saw how love could look different that what I had known, but still be beautiful. I heard about the challenges and joys in second marriages. My love mentors helped me find wisdom and hope through their stories.
I found this same thing to be true.