*This conversation may include opinions of family law
but it should not be considered legal advice.
“Happiness comes more from loving than being loved,
and often when our affection seems wounded it is only our vanity
bleeding. To love, and to be hurt often, and to love again — this
is the brave and happy life.” - by J.E. Buckrose
“Do you want me to tell you something really
subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why
people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for,
being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you
don't risk anything, you risk even more.” - from The Fear of Flying
Kim Bell has crossed many borders in her life. She is
an Australian who is married to an American she met while in the
Philippines and who currently lives in Canada. Both of her
husbands, previous and current, had children before she married
them. She doesn’t have any offspring. This in combination with her
being a Senior Attorney gives her a unique perspective when
discussing love, marriage, divorce, the law and more love.
There is a history and a dynamic that exists between
a parent and a child, which affects a parent’s new relationship
with someone else. Four months after Kim started dating PJ, she
made it clear to his daughter that she didn’t intend to take the
place of her mother but she would be there for her whenever she
needed to talk and she also made it clear to the mother that she
would never try to replace her. This allowed for a free and open
relationship to grow amongst them all.
The Good Thing about Getting
It takes time for women to figure out who they are,
what is important to them and most importantly what they decide
they will no longer accept in their lives. Once we are well into
our 40’s we know ourselves better and we are finally settling into
being happy with who we are. In Kim’s own words, “It’s beneficial
to learn lessons the hard way because that way we don’t have to
learn the same lesson twice” and “This is another precious day in
your life you will never get back again. Love yourself and love the
people around you. Life is a gift.”
It’s important to take time between relationships to
figure things out. If you spend some time alone to get the rest of
your life in order, it really helps you to love someone because you
love them not because you need them.
It’s Called Legalese But Ain’t Legal
Want to know what’s a hard thing to do? Talking with
your fiancé about individual assets before you even get married,
but it needs to be done. It needs to be out in the open a few
months before you tie the knot. It doesn’t have to be a prenuptial
agreement but you should at least have a will in place in case of
an emergency. Wills are described as living documents because they
can be changed when life changes. Legal documents offer protection
for spouses and children alike. Dividing up assets does not have to
be confrontational.
Money should be the last reason you stay in a
marriage you are not happy in. It’s a recipe for being
I met Kim in the Philippines at Chris Ducker’s
Tropical
Think Tank. We met fellow creatives and lifelong friends
If you would like to work directly with me visit my
website, Annpeck.com or email me directly at [email protected] and share with me the impact you
have gotten from these stories. If you would like to share your
thoughts and ideas with me you can connect on twitter with #curvyworldpodcast and/or @iamannpeck. On Facebook, you can join the
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