Lauren Cooney

3/11/13
My Decision Crossroads
1. What was an important decision that you made that had significant effects on your life?
When I decided to leave my daughters father and move on with my life was a ma!or and
life"changing decision# I had to leave him $ecause the relationship was unhealthy and
unhappy# I had to do what was $est for me and potentially $est for my new$orn child#
2. What have $een the main $enefits and disadvantages that have derived from the decision?
%he only disadvantages of deciding to leave my daughters father& was the violent
episodes of !ealousy on his $ehalf that occurred shortly after the $rea'"up# (s my
daughter is older she re)uests to see him often& and as I would never deny her seeing him
he does not respond as he should# My daughter does not understand why she does not
have a relationship with him# %he rest of the outcome of my decision to leave& are all
advantages# I left an unsta$le man and stopped devaluing myself $y ena$ling him# I
opened the door for real love with a real man and married my true love# My daughter has
a real and constant father"figure in her life& which we $oth can count on#
3. What did your decision 'eep you from doing?
My decision 'ept me from ma'ing the $iggest mista'e of marrying the wrong person on
!ust the thought alone of not wanting to $e $y myself# I reali*ed that I was raising two
children and I only gave $irth to one at that time# My decision to leave 'ept me from
staying in a to+ic relationship that also 'ept me from self"growth#
4. Would you say that you made a good decision?
I feel li'e I made a ,-.(% decision# I made the only decision# I thin' if I had not made
that decision& where would I $e? I would pro$a$ly $e either on the streets or dead from
physical a$use# I ena$led his choices or schemes that $rought us to failure# .ven when I
'new that they were not good ideas& I allowed it to happen& in order to 'eep him happy
and to $e 'ept# I even allowed myself to $e ostraci*ed from my family# /ltimately& my
decision to get out of the relationship was the $est one for me and my daughter#
5. What alternative approaches might you have used to ma'e it? Could these alternatives
have produced a different decision? 0ow?
1efore the final $rea'"up& my mother too' me to lunch and $ro'e down all the reasons
why the relationship was not right for me& using choice words# %hat lunch resonated in
my spirit& and the very ne+t day& I too' action# I decided to pic' a fight that would end it
all# %he $rea'"up ended in altercation and ripple"effect that $lew things totally out of
proportion# Loo'ing $ac' at& I would have pro$a$ly handled the situation straight"
forward and e+plain to him my feelings# (lthough& if I had approached it in that manner&
he could have used words that would wea'en me and reel me $ac' in# (ny wagers my
daughters father tried to ma'e to get me $ac' failed& $ecause
I was determined to leave#