Kevin Leaves: The First Year
First Year Changes
I don’t think Kevin expected the first year after leaving to be as hard as it was. He knew there would be challenges, but not the depth or the direction they would take. And that’s often how it goes when we step into big, life-altering decisions.
So much lies outside our control—circumstances, other people’s choices, and the emotional shifts that surface in ways we never saw coming. What we do control are the choices we make in response.
As you listen, consider this: what were the unexpected moments Kevin had to face in that first year after he walked away?
In this second episode of Kevin Leaves, Kevin reflects on his first Christmas after leaving his family, a holiday filled with both warmth and grief. He talks about the good moments: time with his children and the pleasure in spending the holidays with his parents. But he also describes the painful parts: the tension with his ex-wife, the awkwardness of returning to a home he no longer lived in, and the sting of hearing his children say home didn’t feel much different since he left.
Kevin also opens up about the growing strain in his new relationship. His partner struggled with the attention he gave his children, and conflicts emerged as they navigated the reality of blending these two separate worlds. To make things more complicated, Kevin was processing the news that his wife had begun a relationship of her own—an emotional shift he hadn’t fully prepared for.
This episode gives a raw, unedited look at the push and pull of holiday nostalgia, parental longing, relational conflict, and the complex emotions that come with watching someone you once loved move on. It’s a glimpse into what the first year of separation really felt like from the inside.
LINKS and EXTRAS
For unfaithful partners who want to understand their behavior and build a more fulfilling relationship: The RENOVATE Project
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