Lucky 7: A Thanksgiving Reflection on Gratitude, Growth, and Life After Divorce

Seven Years Later, I Truly Understand What “Thankful” Can Mean Again

This Thanksgiving carries extra meaning for me.
This autumn marked seven years since my divorce was finalized. 

During this season of gratitude, I’ve been reflecting on what these seven years have taught me, especially during some of the hardest holiday moments.

That’s what inspired this blog:
Lucky 7 — Seven Truths I’ve grown most grateful for since my divorce.

Before I share these Truths, I want to take you back to a place when my divorce was new and the pain excruciatingly raw.

If you had told me in 2018 that one day I’d feel grateful, even lucky, after everything I was going  through, I wouldn’t have believed you. Because 2018 was the year I faced my hardest Thanksgiving. One that still catches in my chest when I think about it.

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The Thanksgiving That Broke Me (but Helped Rebuild Me)

The afternoon of Thanksgiving Eve of 2018, I stood at the airport, holding my breath as I watched my kids walk down the jet bridge without me and just their tiny backpacks, brave faces, and my heart in their hands. 

It was the first time they ever flew alone.
And it was the first Thanksgiving I would spend without them.

When their little heads disappeared into the plane, something inside me cracked.
I had a full-out breakdown, crumpled and sobbing in an airport bathroom stall. 

When I was finally able to compose myself, I remember walking back to my car, feeling hollow and terrified, wondering how I was supposed to survive the kind of loneliness that a holiday like Thanksgiving can bring.

That Thanksgiving wasn’t filled with gratitude.
It was filled with grief.
It was filled with fear.
It was filled with questions about who I was and what my life was becoming.

How was I going to rebuild a life that I didn’t recognize?

But strangely, that was also the moment the healing began, not because the pain was gone, but because I realized I had no choice but to move through it.  It was the moment I stopped pretending I was okay and started learning how to actually heal.  I joined my parents, my brother, and his family for Thanksgiving that year.  I felt warm and protected, surrounded by people who loved me.  I let them see my vulnerability, and they held my pain gently and compassionately. 

Now, seven years later, as I sit in a much different place, I can see the truths I couldn’t see then.

Which brings me to my Lucky 7.

Lucky 7 – Seven Truths I’ve Grown Especially Grateful For Since My Divorce

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1. Healing Takes Time — But You Will Heal

Back then, I wanted the pain to stop right away.
But grief takes time, and time, despite how painfully slow it feels, really does soften the edges.

As frustrating as it can be, time, patience, and intention are some of the most powerful healers we have.

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2. Fear Doesn’t Last Forever

That first Thanksgiving post-divorce, fear felt like it filled every inch of my body: Would my kids be ok?  Would I be ok? Would life ever feel normal again?

But every step forward, even the smallest ones like surviving the first “shared” Thanksgiving made fear a little quieter and courage a little louder.

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3. My Identity Is Mine to Define

Divorce forced me to ask the question: Who am I, really?
The answer didn’t come quickly, but it came.

I learned that I could redefine myself not by my marriage, not by my roles, not by someone else’s expectations, but by who I chose to become.  Seven years later, I continue to evolve in ways I’m deeply grateful for.

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4. I Am Stronger Than I Thought

Standing in that airport in 2018, I didn’t feel strong – especially as I crumpled into a sobbing ball of tears and anguish in a bathroom stall in the airport.

When you survive moments you thought would break you, you meet a version of yourself you didn’t know existed. That strength is one of the greatest gifts I’ve gained.

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5. Letting Go Creates Space for New Beginnings

Letting go often feels like loss and is not easy.
But over time, I realized that letting go is how new life grows. 

Releasing what no longer fit my life made room for new choices, healthier boundaries, exciting opportunities, and even peace.

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6. Joy Still Exists — Even After Heartbreak

I didn’t think I’d ever feel joy again.
But joy has a way of returning when you make room for it. Sometimes quietly… sometimes unexpectedly…but will arrive.

Today, joy is something I intentionally choose and welcome.

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7. Life After Divorce Can Be Beautiful

I didn’t just rebuild a life — I rebuilt myself.
The life I have now is one I am deeply, genuinely grateful for.

I have turned my pain into purpose, and my passion is now helping others navigate their divorces so they can discover that divorce is not something that happened to them, but something that happened for them. 

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A Thanksgiving Message for You

If you’re entering this holiday season feeling overwhelmed, lonely, anxious, or unsure how to hold all the emotions that divorce brings, please hear this:

You are not alone. And this won’t always feel this hard.

There will come a Thanksgiving where the table feels full again.
Where gratitude comes more easily.
Where your heart feels lighter.
Where you look back and say, “I made it. I’m proud of me.”

And maybe — just maybe — you’ll even feel lucky too.

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If This Season Feels Heavy, You Don’t Have to Go Through It Alone

Divorce can bring swirling thoughts, intense emotions, and moments when functioning feels impossible, especially during the holidays.

Please reach out to schedule a complimentary consultation so we can discuss ways I can help you through your pain and rediscover your strengths

With Thanks, Gratitude, and ((Hugs)))

Kimberly