Being strong...

Thanks, everyone for your spirited thoughts, but please be assured I have an attorney whom I pay very well to offer legal advice in all matters. I just wanted the unofficial opinion as to how perhaps other mothers would feel in such a circumstance, having to weigh financial needs over your wishes for your children. At the end of the day, Derek is their father, and like it or not, even convicted murderers in prison are given the right to visitation with their children; that's just the reality of the matter. Since Derek seeing the children is a real possibility, I'm going to try to have it on my terms, and I think that the legal cards are stacked in my favor. Derek deals from his raw emotions, and even now doesn't acknowlege that he has an anger problem. The very fact that, even now, he envisions the children flying on a plane out of the United States to see him in a foreign country shows that he's not recognizing his own public record in domestic violence. He even wrote in a note to me the other day that he's not mad at me, in fact, he "forgives" me, and that as long as we both drop all "legal things" that we can come to an agreement. That clearly demonstrates how illogical he is. When I left Derek, I wasn't responding to the emotional side of the issue, although that was certainly there. I left him because I had to acknowledge, through crystal clear eyes, that the way he treated me and my son was NOT normal, was NOT okay, and had to be stopped or we would be further and probably irrevocably hurt. Luckily the facts are on my side. So I'm still looking for work, writing my book about this lovely experience, and addressing what comes with strength and assurance. Even if I have to RE-assure myself every day that I can do it! Moms can do anything for their babies, I've learned that. But it's still so helpful to know that you're out there, listening and supporting. Thank you so, so much! Until next time, dear friends...