Love Like a Sunset Part I

1999

1999

For years, Jodi and I had been the picture-perfect couple - at least, that's how it appeared to everyone on the outside looking in.

We had met at a bar, fallen head over heels in love, and gotten married shortly after. Our wedding day had been one of the happiest moments of my life as I stood there, gazing into Jodi's radiant eyes, and pledged to love and cherish her for the rest of my days.

I truly believed, with every fiber of my being, that we would be together forever.

In the beginning, our marriage was blissful. We were two young, carefree newlyweds, reveling in our newfound independence and the thrill of building a life together.

We would spend hours talking and laughing, dreaming about the future and all the adventures that lay ahead.

When we decided to start a family a few years in, I was overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a father again.

The day our son Gunner was born was, without a doubt, the most profound and life-changing moment I had ever experienced.

Holding that tiny, precious bundle in my arms, seeing the perfect blend of Jodi and myself in his features, was indescribable.

I was utterly smitten, my heart swelling with a love so pure and all-consuming that I knew I would do anything to protect and provide for my new little family.

But as the years passed, the cracks in our foundation began to show. The demands of work, bills, and raising a child started to take a toll, chipping away at the easygoing dynamic we had once shared.

Jodi and I found ourselves bickering more often, our conversations becoming laden with tension and unresolved frustrations.

I could see the hurt and disappointment in her eyes, and it pained me to know that I was the cause of her distress.

Looking back, I realize now that I had become too consumed by my career ambitions, spending long hours traveling in pursuit of furthering my career in wrestling.

Making a life for us that I had inadvertently neglected the most important aspect of our lives - our relationship.

Jodi felt isolated and alone like she was carrying the burden of parenthood all by herself while I was constantly absent.

I, on the other hand, thought that as long as I was bringing home a steady paycheck and providing for our family, everything would be fine.

But I was wrong. Jodi needed more than just a provider; she needed a partner, a companion, a true teammate in this journey called life.

The tension came to a head one evening when Jodi confronted me, tears streaming down her face as she expressed how deeply hurt and disappointed she was in me.

She told me that she felt like a single parent, that she couldn't do it all on her own anymore, and that if things didn't change, she didn't know how much longer she could continue this way.

I was stunned, my heart sinking as the weight of her words hit me. At that moment, I realized just how much I had been neglecting my role as a husband and father.

I promised Jodi that I would do better, that I would make more of an effort to be present and engaged, to prioritize our family above all else.

For a while, it seemed like we were on the right track - we went on date nights and spent quality time together as a family.

But the damage had already been done, and try as we might, we just couldn't seem to recapture the magic of those early years.

Then, one day, the unthinkable happened. I received confirmation that I had been served divorce papers.

I remember the shock and disbelief that washed over me as I stared at the official documents, my hands trembling.

After a decade of marriage, Jodi was done. She had given me chance after chance, and I had squandered them all.

I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that the woman I loved more than anything, the woman I had vowed to spend the rest of my life with, was now legally severing our union.

In the days and weeks that followed, I was a mess - an emotional wreck grappling with the reality that my marriage was over.

I tried to reason with Jodi, to convince her that we could still salvage what we had, but she was resolute in her decision.

She had simply run out of patience and energy to keep fighting for a relationship that had become more burden than bliss.

As much as it pained me to accept it, I knew deep down that she was right.

We had grown too far apart, our once-unbreakable bond eroded by my negligence and selfishness.

The divorce proceedings were grueling, both emotionally and logistically. Dividing our assets, determining custody of Gunner, and navigating the legal system was an absolute nightmare.

But through it all, Jodi and I tried our best to be civil and put the needs of our son first.

We may have been ending our marriage, but we were determined to maintain a cordial co-parenting relationship for Gunner's sake. It was the least we could do after everything he had been through.

Now, as I sit here reflecting on the past decade, I'm filled with a profound sense of regret and heartache.

I had the perfect life, the perfect wife and child, and I let it all slip away because I was too caught up in my ambitions to appreciate what I had right in front of me.

Jodi and Gunner were - and still are - my whole world, and I will forever be haunted by the knowledge that I was the one who ultimately destroyed our family.

But even amid this devastating loss, I am determined to learn from my mistakes and become a better man, and a better father.