Divorce Is Hard. Here’s How You Can Help Those Going Through One (NY Times)
By Louise Rafkin
From grand gestures to small acts of kindness, there are several ways to show your support.
Mette Harrison, a novelist who also works in the financial industry, was blindsided in 2020 when her husband of 30 years asked for a divorce. A mother of six, she estimated that she also lost half of her friends between those who ghosted her and others who expressed judgment about the breakup.
According to a 2013 longitudinal study headed by Brown University scholar Rose McDermott, if people in your close social network divorce, the risk of your marriage ending greatly increases. This may partially explain why those in marriage meltdowns find themselves abandoned by their nearest and dearest. But loved ones disappearing may also be because they just don’t know how to help.
