This song always makes my daughter cry. She refuses to play it even though she really likes it. The lyrics hit her in too raw a spot. And I don’t blame her, because I feel it too.

Come home early after class
Don’t be hanging ’round the back of the schoolyard
I’ve been called up a teacher
She says she can’t even reach you cause you’re so far

My daughter’s perfect world imploded in 2012 when I shouldered the responsibility of ending a less-than perfect 15-year marriage. We lost the house and she had to move into two different apartments in two different towns with two different parents. This is one case when having two is not better than one.

It don’t make sense, but nevertheless
You gotta believe us, it’s all for the best
It don’t make sense
The way things go

She complained that it wasn’t fair. It just didn’t make sense to her. We never fought, I never cried; the status quo should be just fine. All of her other friends had intact families, and she would be the only one from a broken home.

Sometimes moms and dads fall out of love
Sometimes two homes are better than one
Some things you can’t tell your sister ’cause she is still too young
Yeah you’ll understand
When you love someone

At 14, her older sister saw the tension, the excuses, and the pain. She knew about the lies, the empty bottles, and broken promises. She knew that other dads would play catch, would celebrate birthdays, would read bedtime stories, not just moms. But 11-year-olds don’t really understand infidelity and alcoholism and what real love means.

There ain’t no one here to blame
Nothing is going to change with your old friends

Maybe I should have told her that just because I asked for the divorce, it did not mean I wanted it. Maybe I should have told her that both your dad and I deserve to be happy, even though it means it is not with each other. Maybe I should have told her that sometimes you are stronger when you just let go, instead of hanging on.

So now at 15, traveling back in forth in the car. She refuses to play this song. Because even though her friends haven’t changed; all of the other parts of her world are NOT the same.

*Lyrics from James TW’s song “When you love someone”
** Ideas for this slice came from @melizdav. Check it out at her blog