Custody: Mapping Out Emotional Quandaries

CUSTODY BATTLES. Some people in the world get a ringside seat to all the drama. You suffer through the odd soap opera (bad acting optional), only to watch as your friends have a real-life experience in one, likely as the innocent pawns or rook. Chequered affairs, tangled! If you’ve ever been involved in such a process then you know exactly how it feels to land like a cat who’s just gotten off a wild rollercoaster ride.

So, you have two parents who once upon a fairytale had feelings for each other. They practically live in the dull glow of it unless they’ve yet to win the lottery and get the “family plan” lawyer for what’s costing more than two dog years and a trip to a theme park. No, the custody battle field isn’t for the light-hearted but then who of us hasn’t tried to untangle earbuds when in a hurry?

Emotions flying high as a kite. A minute of hope follows by five from anxiety, wow. It’s an exhausting ordeal that encompasses your very world. Those parents. The ones who wrap themselves tightly in hopes that a judge just might see it their way. Cats and judges, you never know where they’ll be the next.

Now, let’s talk about the little tykes for a moment, caught in the center of it all. These clever little imps that wouldn’t play poker without looking at your hand. In a dance with sorrow and magic, it’s like they have little whirlwinds of emotions around them that you could only hope to shield them from, but more like blocking a super soaking storm.

To be human is to be flawed and yet there are numerous ways society has brought us into the future. The landscape of bleak unknowing is now filled with so much that you can use to prepare yourself. And beware all ye who seek advice from the international oracle you call Google, for on the high seas of emotional drama there are many icebergs that are wilier than ghosts.

Yes it follows, custody is an emotional topic. And why wouldn’t it be? You’re not fighting for your friends, the stray dog, or even your car–you’re fighting for the people you love the most. There’s one fundamental obscured reality that you have to remember and keep alive amidst every circus performance that life throws at you: the child. How to balance this in the middle of a storm calls for far more than just simple reasoning.

Concerns about custody are bound to draw strong emotions. No wonder, since we are dealing with the most precious part of our lives here. As the circus unfolds, it’s crucial to keep in mind the simple premise that we are not alone; we are responsible for the upbringing of our children. It was crucial to find the resources that you needed, the friendly faces that would give you a moment of peace.

Hotlines, support groups, and wise minds are there, promising comfort for the trampled crowd. YOU HAVE to pick up the phone, go to that place, ask that question. Sometimes it’s just a little wise word to a friend that elucidates the situation further. Behind the cloud of ambiguity, lo! you have company, not that you care either way. It’s all part of the journey, right?