Marriage is Not a Test

Marriage is not a test.
I lived.
I loved.
I lost.
But I didn’t fail.

Society makes assumptions about those who are divorced. Maybe we lack the fortitude to persist through difficulties. Perhaps we possess some great fatal flaw that makes us unable to sustain matrimony. Or, possibility we are flighty, given to jump in without thought and give up just as easily.
There is often shame inherent in admitting that one is divorced, like some scarlet letter “D” is forever branded upon your character if your “ever after” ended sooner than expected. It’s as though you failed at one of the biggest assessments you face as an adult.

In the strictest sense, my marriage did fail. After all, it ceased to exist upon the receipt of the horrific text: “I’m sorry to be such a coward leaving you this way but I’m leaving you and leaving the state.” Furthermore, my husband failed me through his betrayal and abandonment. I failed him by not seeing that he needed help and I failed myself by not being aware of his actions and the signs of a crumbling marriage. Yet, even with all that defeat, I refuse to look at my marriage as a failure. That label undermines our years together with all its shared memories and joys; the shared life and experiences are negated with that single word. Although I did feel as though I failed in some ways, I was adamant that I was not going to let my divorce define me as a failure.

Failure is an act, not a person. I’m divorced. Not defective.

As I grappled with the end of my marriage, I found comfort in the words of others. Others who had faced their own challenges and were determined to learn from and grow from their mistakes and unrealized goals.
There’s always failure. And there’s always disappointment. And there’s always loss. But the secret is learning from the loss, and realizing that none of those holes are vacuums. Michael J. Fox

 

When the marriage died, I felt like I expired right along with it. As though my respirator had been yanked from my face and I was struggling to find the strength and will to breathe on my own. I felt unanchored and unable to escape from the pull of the dying marriage. Failures are not vacuums; we can summon the strength to move beyond them. The realization that I could choose to redefine my divorce was powerful; it gave me the motivation and momentum to continue.
I’ve come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy. Tony Robbins

 

I am often asked if I would have married him if I could turn back the years. I would. Yes, the divorce and associated suffering have been the most painful experience of my life. Yet, I could not imagine my life without having endured that pain. Without that failure, I would not have the perspective that allows so much gratitude and acceptance in my life today. Acceptance that extends to forgiveness for my ex and myself for the conditions that led to the end of the marriage.
It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default. J. K. Rowling

 

I used to be too fear adverse in my old life; I would engage it what I call “practicing the perfect,” which is a way to feed the ego at the expense of the soul. I would try things only if I believed that I had a good chance of success. Interestingly, the cataclysmic end of the marriage released me from that fear of failing. I learned that it’s rarely fatal and that security is only an illusion. You’ll never know what you can do unless you try.
A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying. B. F. Skinner

 

The tendency is to respond to failure in one of two ways — blame others or internalize the mistake. That’s the ego talking again. It’s helpful to realize that most people in most situations are doing the best they can. I used this to help soften towards my ex. I realized that he didn’t do these things to me; I was simply collateral damage in his decisions. I also let up on the self-flagellation for not recognizing any red flags.
Success is not a good teacher, failure makes you humble. Shahrukh Khan

 

Our egos are a bit like young meatheads in a gym. Flexing in the mirror, wanting to appear strong and capable amongst the others. This means that sometimes we will try to lift more than we can without asking for assistance. And, just like in the weight room, this can only lead to disaster. When we fail at something, we can either give up or ask for help. Allow yourself to be humble, ask for a spotter and you’ll not only gain the respect of those around you, but you will also be able to lift more than you ever thought possible.
I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process. Oprah Winfrey

 

My biggest issue with labeling my marriage as a failure is that it focuses on the end and ignores the 16 years together. The 16 good years. Those still count. I still think back and smile. I may not love the man but I still love the memories. I think this thought is especially poignant for those with children from the union. It’s important for the kids not to think that you see the marriage that created them as a waste, a mistake. In some way and for some amount of time, it was successful.
Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Denis Waitley

 

Divorce is a powerful teacher if you listen to its lessons. Its methods may be harsh but its messages are life changing. A failed marriage does not make you a failure. The only true failure is failing to live and love, even if that means that sometimes you may lose.
Related:  What Makes a Marriage Successful (and Why Divorce Does Not Mean Failure)

Thank you for sharing!

11 thoughts on “Marriage is Not a Test

  1. Powerful message. Thank you. It’s hard not to think why did I fail? What did I do? Why didn’t I try harder? Yet there’s no other way. It is what it is.

  2. Waterandfir – I never thought that I would be blogging. Writing was one of the things I despised during my childhood. Growing older, with all the pressure, angst and stress of being an adult. I found myself a notebook and pen writing away. Ever since then, it's been an outlet for me. Most are my experienced, others are from other people in which I've been a part of. I hope that as you read through that it would inspire, encourage and admonish you. Not to give up or be dismayed. I know how it feels to be a sinner, hopeless, failed, even rejected by the people who suppose to be there for you. Stand your ground for we are all passing through this world, the proving ground of souls. Eternity is all that matters, which are unseen. Comments, questions , email me at waterandfir3@hotmail.com.
    waterandfire34 says:

    You never fail to amaze to inspire.

  3. gypsypritzeh – Tiny bit of fiction, mostly truth. I could have named this any number of things: Confessions of a Spinster and Tired of My Vibrator are the top recurring themes. This e-message in a bottle started it because I type faster than I handwrite. But mostly because there are some things that my mom isn't ready to hear about.
    gypsypritzeh says:

    have two marriages behind me and still single 14 years later because I want to make sure the third time isn’t a mistake. But that’s the problem with the programming, thinking of it like a test. My first marriage I was a virgin and convinced it couldnt “fail”. I did everything “right” and he still abandoned me. We say “I do”and can only speak for ourselves and hope for the best from our partners, I suppose. Thank you for sharing and good shavas to you in your journey 🙂

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