The stbx birthday weekend

For the first time in many many years I will not have to host a birthday celebration for the ex, what a relief.  She is taking the kids down south to be with her brothers and sisters leaving me to have a peaceful weekend with out the hassle.  Those that know me may be saying, "but Steven, why would you have been throwing this abusive woman parties, when you were only married in name for so long, why would you do that?" To which I would answer, dear friend, on holidays, birthdays, mother's day, I always felt it important to make a big deal out of the kid's mother. I did not want their adult memories to be of how rotten dad was to mom.  I think it important that the children get to love their family. Even though their mom and dad are not in love any longer, I still want them to have good memories of special times.  I make sure that christmas and thanksgiving and holidays are always times of fun, even when it kills me inside knowing that she expects this, appreciates none of it, and in return ignores my birthday, or fathers day or whatever. She is setting her own table, so to speak, and its sad. Sad not for me, I know better, sad for her. She doesn't even see how horrible this makes the children feel. And these are not young kids anymore, they're 13 and 17.   So what to do with a weekend off without the kids. Hmmm, there's music, Friday night, Thursday night this week as well, church on Sunday, and I have the rest of the week to figure out Saturday.  Life can be good sometimes.