Welcome to the NHOH Club. We sure didn’t think we’d be here. I have weathered, survived and surmounted almost every single one of these challenges of becoming Newly Head of Household (NHOH) following what seemed like a never-ending divorce. At the time, I was devastated emotionally, financially and particularly in the damage, some irreparable, to my relationships that I had as the primary caregiving parent to my three children. In the work I do daily as a financial advisor, I encounter these topics, questions, challenges and “opportunities for growth” with such regularity that I decided it was time to put pen to paper–or more precisely, fingers to a keyboard.

I use the phrase ‘These Next Chapter(s)’ with the “s” intentionally in parenthesis.  We think that we’re onto this singular next chapter, and breathe a sigh of relief.  However, my experience has been that we find that this new chapter is often the first of many. Forewarned is forearmed.

The work I do is heavily regulated as as such, I cannot receive any testimonials, nor endorsements from any client, nor any allied professional or colleague.  I may not give public testimonials or endorsements either, so please know that while I believe in telling people about the exceptional people with whom I collaborate and have worked with, I may not do so in a public forum.

I will change names and the particular circumstances enough to protect the identity and privacy of the friends and clients whose stories I gratefully share.  I do believe that we learn so much more from hearing the stories of other women who have weathered similar storms. We are in this together, and once we hear someone else tell their tale, we realize that we are not such an outlier. That “this,” whatever we are going through or went through, is remarkably un-unique. I find there is genuine comfort in knowing that this “this” happened to someone else too.

Know that this process is an inevitably slow, arduous, soul-wrenching slog.  There is no way to get through it, but to go through it.   “Borrow My Hope” that you’ll make it through this (to quote my therapist from during my divorce) and know that you will make it out the other side.

Here we grow,

Erin