10 Years After Her Wedding Day a Single Mom Reflects on Marriage, Divorce & Self-Worth by Jessica Lawrence

July 19, 2008. It was an extremely hot day. I remember my mother placing her rosary beads on the clothesline the night before to keep the rain away. It worked, like most old wives' tales do. I don't remember my soon-to-be husband ever telling me how beautiful I looked that day.

I know that about half of marriages end in divorce. I didn't want to be a statistic, nor did I expect to be one at such a young age. Divorced at 33 wasn't exactly my dream life – not that I suspect anyone gets married thinking of divorce. The stigma of divorce is bad alone, but imagine being divorced after only seven years of marriage. I continue to tell people that the best thing to come from my (albeit brief) marriage was my daughter. Only a select few know the deep truth from our demise.

Why do we still shame people for divorce? Shouldn't everyone be allowed to be happy? In the end I am far happier being on my own with my daughter than I ever was with him. I might be a single, 35-year-old mother of one, but I deserve to wait for the one person who will make me smile at the end of a long day. 

So, while I wait for that person, do you know of any single friends?