It's been awhile since I've checked in, MIPers, but I do try to come on the board periodically to see how folks are doing.

Some of you may recall that my AH was working several hundred miles away, and we were seeing him about one weekend a month.  While the arrangement meant I was functionally a single mother to three kids, it did wonders for my serenity.  It was so much easier for me to detach from his behavior when he was away.  Well, last week he found a job that will allow him to be home every night, and this has been our first week with him at home.

I have been trying very, very hard to focus on the positives: first and foremost, he gets to see our son every day, which is good for him AND for our son.  There have not been any emotionally abusive blow-ups since he has been home.  There are negatives, of course, but I'm trying not to dwell on them, and instead focus on things I can control in the situation and setting appropriate boundaries.

I truly do have MIP and all of you to thank for my progress over the last year.  When I found this board 9 months ago, I was broken and sick and convinced of my own failure as a wife and as a human being.  My journey to emotional health will never truly end, and I know I have to be vigilant, always, about my own issues.  But I am a much better place now, and I feel as though I am much better equipped to evaluate my marriage, my own wants and needs, and my plans for the future (and whether or not they involve staying married to an A).