I Had Wine With My Husband's Ex-Wife. Here's What Happened

So I had wine with my husband's ex-wife. Actually, it was more than wine. We went out to dinner with some mutual friends and had a "girl's night out." And guess what... it was great.
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Two women talking to each other in a wine bar
Two women talking to each other in a wine bar

So I had wine with my husband's ex-wife.

Actually, it was more than wine. We went out to dinner with some mutual friends and had a "girl's night out."

And guess what... it was great.

Even though before I left the house, I was so nervous that I thought I was going puke and questioned whether blurring the boundaries was a good idea, everything turned out fine. In fact, it was really fun!

Part of me wishes that my husband's ex-wife wasn't my husbands ex-wife because I really like her! I wouldn't mind hanging out with her more often.

The thing is, three years ago, if you would have told me that we would be having wine together, I would have said that you were absolutely insane. It just wasn't in my pipeline. Even though I thought it would be nice to have that type of relationship, it didn't seem like there was a remote possibility.

There was a major transition period. Time for us both to figure out what the heck this stepmom gig entailed.

There were some heated conversations. There were months where we didn't acknowledge each other's existence. There were awkward moments in the hockey arena...

In fact, I think we were both thrilled when we were able to have good email correspondence about the kids, let alone enjoy a glass of pinot together!

Then, all of a sudden there we were.... skinny jeans and heels, heading for a girls-night-out on the town!

The next day, feeling pretty good about how the night went, I took some time to really think about what had changed, and how we had managed to get to this point.

In doing so, I realized I've learned a lot of lessons over the past few years.

1. I think we can all agree that the stresses that come with stepfamily life, co-parenting and blending families don't always bring out the best in everyone.

It's unknown territory full of foreign emotions and situations that were never in anyone's "five-year plan". A little empathy and forgiveness can go a long way.

2. Time really does heal.

As time has gone on, everything has become easier on so many levels.

If you're open to it, you can learn ways to cope, communicate and navigate the world of co-parenting. That doesn't mean you won't have difference of opinions. It's not always going to be hearts and sparkles. However, if you learn to compromise, let things go and look at the bigger picture, stressors that used to be all consuming, won't be anymore.

3. There are two sides and two different perspectives to every story.

One person's truth may be very different from another person's truth. And that's okay! The key is acknowledging and accepting that the difference exists.

4. Issues that arise between my husband and his ex-wife, are not issues between her and I. We don't speak about them.

I'm a support to my husband behind the scenes, but I know from experience that I can't fix something that I didn't break. To sum it up, I've learned to keep my mouth shut!

5. It is just so much easier to get along! It really is!

Some stepmoms have said to me, that's great for you but that will never happen for us. And many of you are right. If you're dealing with a high-conflict-ex (or perhaps married to one) a healthy co-parenting relationship may not be in the cards. Parallel parenting may be the way to go!

But, you never know. Maybe his ex-wife also wishes that you could have an amicable relationship, but doesn't want to be the one to let her guard down and extend that olive branch. Maybe you won't go out for wine (and maybe you don't want to go out for wine) but perhaps you could have the odd conversation about the kids, or be able to stand at an extra curricular event without feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

Either way, it's worth a try. Even if your efforts are shot right down, knowing that you've said no to a life full of ongoing anger and controversy can feel pretty damn good.

Jamie Scrimgeour is a coffee and wine loving second wife, stepmom and mom who doesn't believe in sugar coating anything. She is all about being raw, real, and thinks that dwelling on negative brings premature wrinkles. Jamie talks candidly about her stepfamily life on her blog, The Poptart Diaries and helps fellow stepmoms thrive through her group coaching program The KICK-ASS STEPMOM Project. You can find Jamie on Facebook and Instagram.

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