I alluded to some good news yesterday; the first piece of it is more or less final now. As of this morning, I am done with divorce court. I have two months of maintenance (alimony) and lawyer fees left to pay and this will be a memory.

3 years, 2 months, 30 days

102,384,000 seconds

1,706,400 minutes

28,440 hours

169 weeks

In the time it took for this ordeal to end , I could have walked 5,925 miles (assuming 5 miles/day), from the Pacific to Atlantic coast and back. I’ll have spent in excess of 100k over 30 months, between maintenance, lawyers, and obligatory debts, before collapsing under the weight and filing for bankruptcy last year. In the end, though, while I may be poor financially I am rich in other ways. I remarried. I’ve followed my heart and my head and my conscience and found happiness.

The last two and a half years taught me about what’s really important in life. For all of the despair, gnashing of teeth, frustrated nights and long days dealing with court orders, creditors, and whatnot, I survived. There were moments that I thought it would be better off if I didn’t, but giving up would have been too easy. And soon, I’ll be able to enjoy the rewards of that perseverance.