Celebrate your independence this weekend

This weekend, residents across Jackson County will be heading out to barbecues, beaches and cabins to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend. But if you are dealing with divorce, this weekend can be about more than celebrating the country’s independence: It could also be about celebrating your own independence.

It is not unusual for people going through a divorce to be so focused on the end of their marriage that they can’t or won’t think about the beginning of the next chapter. But as many people, including the author of this Huffington Post article, ultimately realize, there are some upsides to divorce, including a sense of freedom.

Freedom doesn’t just mean being able to do whatever you want whenever you want, though that is one significant benefit to not being married.

It also means not having to check in with someone before doing something you want to do. For instance, if you want to change careers, start a new business, take up a potentially dangerous hobby or move, you don’t have to run those plans past anyone but yourself. You can make mistakes, take risks and step outside your comfort zone without having to consider how it will affect your spouse or whether he or she would be okay with it.

In many cases, the hardest part of a divorce is dividing up time with your kids. This can be incredibly upsetting, but you can come to realize that when your kids are with your ex, you have the freedom to do what you want. You can play those days by ear, go out for a late dinner without worrying about the babysitter or spend an afternoon doing the things you enjoy that your kids would hate.

Finally, ending a broken relationship can grant you the freedom you need to discover what you want from a partner so you can seek out a better, more fulfilling relationship.

Of course there are difficult, emotionally-devastating elements to any divorce. However, this weekend can be the perfect time to take a step back and focus on what you stand to gain in the aftermath, like freedom.