Sometimes Really Good Things Happen

So much of this blog is focused on the negative that I thought I would mention three really wonderful things that happened this week.

1 - My ex-husband sold the house he inherited from his parents. He owed me a LOT of back child support. For years, I've been thinking about going after him for it. However, since he doesn't have a regular job, I didn't think I could get anything from him. In other words, you can't get blood out of a turnip.

For over ten years, he has been telling me he was going to sell his house to pay what he owed. EVERY time I talked to him about it, he told me that it should be ready to list on the market in "about six weeks." This went on for years. 

Then four or five years ago, he inherited a house from his parents. By this point, I pretty much never talked to him as our daughter was older and so I didn't need to (no more co-parenting). I just assumed that he would sell that house as it was ready to sell, no major issues that needed to be fixed first. 

More and more time passed and finally, I asked. He told me he was planning to see one of the houses. It didn't happen.

By this time, I was over it. I was VERY over it. I decided to file with the child support enforcement office, not caring if I never got any money or if he went to jail. I was just over the whole thing and wanted someone else to deal with it.

I filed just before COVID. Needless to say, my case got held up for a very long time. I had to wait again, but at least I was working on it.

A year and a half later, I got a letter that my court case was scheduled. I won't go into that day and all that went into it, but it went well. I was very pleased with the judgment. 

During that year and a half, he decided to sell that extra home. Again, I won't go into all the specifics of everything that happened, but before he sold the house, I got a lein on this house using the child support judgment. 

Well, finally, the good news! He sold the house earlier this week. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that sometime next week I should get a check for the entire amount... the ENTIRE AMOUNT! I'm truly amazed that this could happen... finally.

2 - Back in August I took a plunge and did something I've always been too scared to do - I entered a photo contest. 

I didn't hear anything for months. I finally assumed that I didn't win. 

This week I found out that I won - and with BOTH my photos! No money was won but my photos are on display at the Birmingham Museum of Art for the next couple of months. I think that's too cool!

3 - I took a day off yesterday and went to visit a friend who lives almost two hours north of me. I went with my daughter, her fiance', and my boyfriend. We saw some of the beautiful fall colors. We ate lunch with my friend. I got to show him some of my photography that he usually doesn't get to see (he's my mentor and life coach). 

It was incredible to be able to get out in nature as well as spend time with some of the people I love the most. 

Even with lots of mental and physical health issues, good things do happen. I'm starting to try to recognize those things, even the little ones. Gratefulness is so important in recovery but it's also extremely important to make it through life, especially when you deal with hard times every day.