10. March 2026
A Year That Changed Everything
By Jenny Kuemmel, Host of Momma Drama & Trauma
A Year That Changed Everything
One year after my divorce I can finally say something I never thought I would be able to say in those early days. I am okay.
Not because everything magically fixed itself not because life became easy and not because the pain disappeared.
But because I grew into a version of myself I did not even know existed.
This past year was the hardest most painful most confusing most transformative year of my entire life.
It broke me but it also rebuilt me. And now with one full year of distance clarity and healing I can finally see what this journey was really teaching me.
The First Lesson: Strength Does Not Look How You Expect It To
Before all of this happened I used to think strength meant holding everything together staying calm and powering through.
But that is not what strength looks like after your world falls apart.
Real strength looks like:
crying in the car and still picking up your kids
making decisions you never wanted to make
setting boundaries you used to avoid
getting out of bed on days that feel impossible
choosing yourself even when it feels uncomfortable
walking away from a person you once would have stayed for
rebuilding a life with hands that are still shaking
Strength I have learned is quiet.
Steady.
Messy.
Human.
And it shows up in the small moments no one else ever sees.
A year later I finally see that the woman I was during this time was stronger than she ever gave herself credit for.
The Second Lesson: Peace Comes When You Stop Carrying What Is Not Yours
One year later the biggest change in my life is not my relationship status. It is the peace that came from finally putting things down that were never mine to carry.
I stopped carrying:
his choices
his guilt
his lack of accountability
his shame
his consequences
his emotional immaturity
his version of the story
I stopped apologizing for things I did not do.
I stopped trying to fix things I did not break.
I stopped trying to understand choices that were never meant to make sense.
And when I finally let go of what was not mine peace rushed in.
Not all at once.
Not magically.
But slowly consistently gently.
Like my body finally exhaling after holding its breath for far too long.
The Third Lesson: Starting Over Is Not a Failure. It Is a Beginning.
A year later I do not see myself as someone who lost a marriage.
I see myself as someone who gained a life.
Starting over felt terrifying at first.
I did not know how I would make it work how I would rebuild financially how I would support my kids through their pain or how I would even begin healing my own heart.
But slowly starting over became:
empowering
clarifying
freeing
necessary
healing
I realized that starting over was not punishment.
It was the first step toward a life that no longer required me to shrink settle sacrifice or survive.
Starting over gave me back my voice my identity my dreams my peace.
It gave me me again.
The Fourth Lesson: Healing Is Not Linear And That Is Okay
One thing I wish every woman knew is this.
Healing does not move in a straight line.
It loops circles spikes dips plateaus and surprises you.
Some days I felt strong.
Some days I did not.
Some days I felt like I was finally moving forward.
Other days I felt like I was right back at the beginning.
But the truth is this.
Every part of the healing curve counts.
Every dip.
Every peak.
Every pause.
This year taught me that healing happens:
in tiny steps
in quiet moments
in unexpected breakthroughs
in conversations
in tears
in realizations
in rest
in reflection
Healing is not about moving fast.
It is about moving honestly.
What Helped Me One Year Later
Here are the things that actually helped me rebuild myself over this past year slowly gently intentionally.
- Letting myself grieve without a timeline
Grief comes in waves.
I stopped trying to control it.
- Rebuilding routines that felt like me
Walking journaling music small joys helped anchor me when life felt upside down.
- Accepting help instead of pretending to be okay
Letting people in was healing.
Being vulnerable was strength.
- Focusing on what I could control
My energy
My reactions
My choices
My environment
- Taking the pressure off instant recovery
Some days I thrived.
Some days I barely held it together.
Both days counted.
- Finding peace in the simple moments
Quiet mornings
A clean space
A walk outside
A meal with my kids
Peace does not have to be big.
It just has to be consistent.
- Relearning how to trust myself
My intuition
My strength
My voice
My worth
- Letting go of the old version of me
Not because she was weak but because she was tired.
She deserved rest.
She deserved healing.
She deserved better.
- Opening myself up to new dreams
A new career
A new direction
New possibilities
New freedom
- Understanding that I did not just survive. I transformed.
And transformation is messy.
But it is also beautiful.
Final Thoughts: One Year Later I Can Finally See Myself Again
This past year taught me things I did not want to learn.
But I am grateful I did.
It taught me:
resilience I never knew I had
peace that comes from letting go
strength that comes from breaking
courage that comes from choosing myself
hope that grows quietly underneath the pain
joy that slowly returns
the freedom of starting over
the beauty of rebuilding a life you actually want
One year later I see myself more clearly than I ever have.
Not as a wife.
Not as a woman who was left.
Not as someone broken.
But as someone becoming.
And if you are somewhere along this journey too please know this.
You will not stay where you are.
One day you will rise.
One day you will breathe easier.
One day you will feel hope again.
And one day you will look back just like I am and realize you were stronger than you ever knew.
As Always
You are strong.
You are worthy.
And your story matters.
Until next time take care of YOU. 💗