I don’t care for the term EX-husband. I have one of them, and I prefer to refer to him as my “former” husband. I guess that makes DH the “latter’ husband. I supposed I could call Mr. Former “the JERK,” but I’ve tried to play nice in public.
Anyway, today I was thinking about the fact that I have EX-relatives. My brother and his FORMER wife divorced, and it put me in a difficult position. I like the woman he was married to, the mother of his children, and I like the woman he IS married to. It’s very difficult to know just what to do about it.
I tried to keep in touch with his former wife, and found that was uncomfortable. I wondered if she felt I was a reminder of all that had happened, and it occured to me that perhaps I was hurting her by keeping in touch.
And, my present sister-in-law may see my relationship to the former Mrs. as being a slap in the face.
What to do….what to do? Are we supposed to close ranks and support our siblings, no matter what they do? Does that mean we cease recognizing the parent of our nieces and nephews?
I wonder if Emily Post has written about this. Perhaps I need to surf on “Divorce Manners.”
I have to admit, when my former husband kept in touch with one of my sisters, it really ticked me off at first. Then I realized it was probably a good idea to have a conduit, and I worked at letting the matter drop. I wonder if I put my siblings in the same position I’m in now?
Duh….
Never let it be said that I think on my feet….