a wedding
I've struggled to know where to start when it comes to writing again and so I'm just going to start. I constantly bounce between thinking it best to being slow and organized, writing offline for a while and then publishing online, to just wanting to write and publish and organize later (if ever).
Plus, I always feel a pull to check in on how things are doing with Scribbles (and also omg.lol). I remember when Vincent started this. I was excited then at supporting someone who I consider a friend (even though we've only ever communicated closely via email, and the reply is always lingering in my inbox) and remain just as eager to support what he has built, despite my lack of publishing much lately. When I read his post about closing new registrations I thought to myself that I need to show my support more directly through actually using Scribbles.
Also, life has been a blur (in very challenging but very good ways) since October of 2024, and writing has not been something that I could put words to since. Now, though, on the other side of the valley (being the days between October 2024 and December 2025) I do feel a strong pull to write again, and believe that I am getting to the point where I can get the words out.
As usual, I digress :-) Some things will never change.
Let's get on with it.
From the outside I abandoned all that I was suddenly and without warning in October of 2024. In reality, though, on the inside, things were happening and October was those happenings bubbling to the surface. And that was just the beginning.
It started with an apology, something I never thought I would be able to do. An apology to my then ex-wife, Lindsay, for being the absolute worst husband to her when we were married (for 15 years!). By the grace of God she was open to starting down the path of reconciliation despite 2 years of separation and 2 years of being divorced. She had a Holy Hesitation and had never started dating anyone else during this time and continued to pray for me.
I abandoned my leather business swiftly and without hesitation. There's a lot in that statement that I need to process a bit more before I write about it. But that's what I did. I shifted back to my IT job full time.
I started to sell off all that I had accumulated beginning in 2021 when we separated.
I acknowledged the absolute terrible state I had put myself in with my personal finances. During our separation and divorce I did not become an alcoholic (but certainly had my share of over drinking) but I did try to soothe my aching soul by spending as much money as I possibly could. Accumulated just over $80,000 of credit card and personal loan debt. On top of my existing student loans this pushed me over $100,000. This is a hole I continue to dig out from. More on this later.
I sought forgiveness from my ex-in-laws and my niece (on Lindsay's side). I hurt them by how I hurt her, and I had to recognize that with them. They all said there was nothing to forgive. Relationships continue to improve.
Lindsay and I started dating each other again in March of 2025. Engaged in October, and then married again in December. Our family is now whole and is not just "as it was" before our separation but is completely and fully transformed. We have a new marriage, a new relationship, a new sense of family. The relationship we have now is lightyears better than what we had before...details I hope to unravel as I write more.
There are some parts of who I am today that is the same from back then, but the vast majority of me today is new. Transformed in ways that only God could have done.
This is all still pretty high-level, I get that, but that's what I wanted to share for now. The high points. The news of our wedding (remarried with vows we wrote ourselves on 12/23/25), the news of our family coming back together again.
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Much more to follow.
~ Aaron