Three Women Stories
Ever feel like nothing good will happen to you.
Wishing you can wipe the slate clean and start your whole life over.
Ever find yourself saying things like, “what a mess I’ve made.”
“Who would want someone like me?”
“I don’t think I can do anything that can make a difference”.
ZOE’S STORY
Hi, I’m Zoë; my name means life. I just celebrated my 37th birthday and yes still single. I’m saddened that i still say that as if I was given a death sentenced “still single”. Do married people say I’m still married with the same saddened conviction?
I believe you have two types, those who are saddened by the fact that they are still married to that man and those who rejoice that they are married to the man. I dream to be in the latter group.
I don’t understand why I haven’t met Mr. Right. Have I been standing at the airport waiting for my ship to come in – wrong place, wrong time. I’ve read so many of the single’s books. I’ve been a lady in waiting, kiss dating good-bye, and did some self-improvement on my outward and inward appearance and still i wait.
Okay, I guess it’s time to get busy – volunteer, volunteer and volunteer. Or I can go back to school and get my degree in something. Let me see, hmm, that looks interesting, a class on understanding nature. I wonder if I should join it. I’ll meet the man of my dreams. After all sensitive men would go to this sort of a class.
MY FRIEND STEPHANIE
I’m 28 and married three times, for all the wrong reasons. My husband, I thought he was cute, and he had a cool car. He was the popular guy at school, and I was the average looking girl who never thought that I could be that lucky. When we started dating my girlfriends and even some of those popular girls were so jealous. It made me feel important and special. I was getting the looks from both guy and girls saying what is her charm. Wow, with his skills and professional scouts calling she’ll be living large.
A year after we graduated, we got married – the envy of all. We lived well, very well, after all how many teenage millionaires do you have. My husband became the successful player everyone thought he was going to be. But with that came a lifestyle that neither of us was prepared for, and that became the destruction of our relationship. The access to too much, too soon, and lack of maturity on our part did not help the situation.
Close friends who I spoke to over the years, would say things like “girl you stick through it, the Benz is worth it”. And deep inside of me I knew it wasn’t. One valuable lesson I learned at the age of twenteen is that money (rich or poor), isn’t the reason for the destruction of any relationship, it’s the people.
After 2 ½ years, I got out, and husband number two came along just in time (mind you i still didn’t work out what I knew was wrong in the first marriage). Husband number two, this time was totally different than my first husband. Not as loud and extroverted but quiet, and introverted. Yes, I thought I would change the content and things would work out.
Didn’t!
Husband number three. Okay, this time I got it. Get a combination of the two previous husbands (the parts I liked) and this will work out. Little more difficult, went through many dates with mental checklist, eliminating guys because they did not fit my checklist criteria. Finally, struck gold. A wonderful man different from what I would have normally chosen, because this time I had a formula. A year later at the wonderful age of twenty-six i married the man of my dreams, husband number three.
I reflected on that day now at the age of 28 as I leave my lawyer’s office. What is it that i keep missing? I thought this was the man of my dreams. And suddenly as if like a lightning bolt it hit me but are you the woman of your dreams. I froze at the traffic light. The light had turned green, but I could not move. For the first time in my LIFE, i decided to stop even though things around me were saying go.
THEY CALL ME BARB
“Barbara, Barbara!” Came the shout from down the narrow dark hallway. “you’ve got to stack the shelves before you leave tonight. And this time make sure that you wipe them down before placing the goods on them.”
Barb, as she is affectionately called, is the mother of three children. Melanie is the eldest and a high school senior. Mark and Michael are 16-year-old twins. Things have not been easy for them since their parents separated. But at least the kids are of the age where they could work and help with the household expenses. They don’t live in the best neighborhood and barb is afraid that her sons maybe hanging out with the wrong crowd. She is also concerned about Melanie’s new boyfriend. She was hoping to be able to get home on time today so she can speak to her but asking for time off is out of the question. Her boss has not always been the most reasonable person.
Life for Barb seemed to be spent stocking shelves and serving food. As she begins to place the tins of dog food on the shelf a childhood memory flashed before her. She remembered when her parents gave her a puppy on her 12th birthday. She remembered playing for hours on the front lawn as her mom and dad sat and watched in glee to her enjoyment. Where has that joy gone? Where is that time in the day to just sit and enjoy the simple things of life? Where has my life gone?