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Two people who’ve professed love for each other? Check. Family and friends? Check and check. Cake, drinks, and gifts? Check, check, check. Sounds like a wedding reception doesn’t it?
Nope. It’s a divorce party.
Twenty-four years ago, Jeff Becerra and Michelle Mahoney stood before God and loved ones to share vows that included phrases like “till death do us part.” But on Saturday, December 17, 2016, some of those same friends and family members gathered in Berkeley, CA to celebrate the end of that marriage with a “divorce party.”
That’s actually a thing. You can Google it. There are even party supplies.
Reflecting on their marital status, Michelle said, “We just did a lot of self-examination and realized we had fallen out of love.” They’re not alone. Almost one million divorces take place in America each year. They’re expensive – and not just on the wallet. There is lost love, lost intimacy, and even lost friends.
Hoping to avoid some of those harsh realities, the recently divorced couple pulled their friends together and partied. Banners reading “Divorce Party” were hung next to signs reading “Eat, Drink, and Re-Marry.” In spite of the guests experiencing some uncomfortable moments, the overall hope of the divorce party was to “take a little bit of the awkwardness” out of the situation.
Admitting the pain of divorce, along with the terrible costs – both financial and emotional – the couple said the decision wasn’t taken lightly. “We’re not celebrating the fact that we got divorced,” says her former husband. “We’re celebrating the way in which we did it…keep the friendship that we have and keep as much of a family group as we can have together.” Only time will tell if the un-coupled couple will be able to maintain their relationship with friends and each other.
Call it what you will, in the end, a celebration was held in honor of broken promises.
Click here for the online report.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Commitment
Consequences
Divorce
Family
Husband
Love
Marriage
Pain
Party
Promise
Relationship Problems
Vows
Wife
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
