When Your Marriage Ends… But Your Life Doesn’t

No one gets married thinking they’ll get divorced.

Like many women, I grew up dreaming of “happily ever after.” I watched Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, convinced that finding the love of my life would complete me. I believed that happiness would come once I found him. And I did what many of us do: I chased the dream with everything I had. I married young, worked hard to make it work, and held on for as long as I could.

But life doesn’t always go the way we plan.

Over a decade ago, my marriage ended. It wasn’t a happy marriage, and deep down, I knew that. But that didn’t make it any less devastating. What I grieved wasn’t just the relationship; it was the loss of the life I thought I was supposed to have. The dream I had held onto since childhood shattered. And I was left with a deep sense of loss, confusion, and fear for what came next.

But here’s what I want you to know: my life didn’t end. It began again.

There can be a happy EVEN after!

When Everything Changes, You Can Too
In the aftermath of my divorce, my kids and I moved into a small two-bedroom apartment. My teenager had her own room, the younger two shared a bunk bed, and I made a bed on the floor beside them each night. I remember collapsing into that space in tears, asking myself, “How did I get here?” I spent hours crying in a makeshift office—literally a closet—blasting the “Fight Song” trying to muster the strength to carry on.

Your story will likely look different, but it probably feels the same. 

What I’ve come to understand is that divorce is a process. And like all grief, it’s not linear. You’ll have moments of strength and clarity, followed by days when you feel like you’re back at square one. That’s okay. It’s normal. You’re not doing it wrong.

What helped me most was learning to shift the focus inward.

I realized the one thing I could control was me. I couldn’t rewrite the past, but I could reclaim my power. And that’s what I did.

A Guide to Help You Begin Again
That’s why I created The Divorcing Woman’s Guide to Reclaiming Her Life to help other women navigate one of life’s hardest transitions with a little more clarity, support, and hope.

This free guide is part story, part reflection, and part practical roadmap. Inside, I share 20 heartfelt steps that helped me heal, grow, and rebuild a life that I love. It’s not about fixing everything overnight. It’s about starting small, beginning within, and learning to LEAD your own life—one intentional step at a time.

It’s the guide I wish I had when I was starting over.

You Don’t Have to Have It All Figured Out
If you’re in the thick of it right now feeling lost, heartbroken, or overwhelmed, I see you. I’ve been there. And I promise, there is hope on the other side of this pain. You don’t need to know what comes next. You just need to know that you’re not alone… and you can move forward.

If you're ready to begin again, I invite you to download The Divorcing Woman’s Guide and take the first gentle steps toward healing and reclaiming your life.

It’s free. It’s from my heart. And it’s for you.

You can get it here: DOWNLOAD FREE

With love and deep understanding,
Corliss