Statistics Numbers = Real Lives

Today, my conversation with a co-worker went something like this:

Her: It’s soo cold today!
Me: Yeah the temperature dropped so much, definitely wore the wrong jacket this morning.
Her: Yea me too, I was freezing at lunch.
Me: Were you outside for a long time?
Her: Yea I had lunch duty for my daughter’s school.
Me: Oh, like recess?
Her: Yep
Me: Oh.. what’s her name?
Her: Her name is Faith. And my son, he just turned 1, his name is Justice.
Me: Justice? Interesting.
Her: Yeah I came up with it last minute, but as soon as I decided on the name, my water broke. It’s like he was waiting to be named.
Me: Aw, cute. That’s cool that your husband let you choose the name.
Her: Eh, well, he got over it. And he’s an ex now.
Me: O..
Her: It’s okay, so it’s a good thing I got to pick the name, although his middle name is stuck as his dad’s name…Joe.. I mean, he was a GREAT man (sarcasm).
Me: (sad face)

I felt stupid to assume that she still had a husband, but I remember when she took maternity leave last year, she used to say wonderful things about her husband. What happened in this one year? Now she’s a single mother with 2 young children. How quickly things fail to turn out the way we expect/want?

I complain about how people at work have kids and are so difficult to relate with, but yeah, I actually have it pretty easy in comparison. I have so much freedom as a single, 24 year old, with no responsibilities at home tying me down. I can decide when/where to eat and go, and also who to do anything with. My life doesn’t have to revolve around babies who are too young to think for themselves. My life can revolve around me, 100% of the time.

When they say that the divorce rate is more than 50%, a lot of times I just shrug and think, yeah.. sucks. But man, it’s not just 50%. It’s thousands and millions of broken families and single parents trying to make it through day by day.