Last week I was a guest on Woman’s Hour on Radio 4 talking about break ups. Since the programme aired a number of people have been in touch with me about their own experiences. There has been pain, acceptance, anger and joy and I feel incredibly touched that so many people have opened up to me and been so honest.
As Susie Boniface mentioned on the show, sometimes the pain of a break up is not something we share with the world. I have had a lot of people I know contacting me about their break up stories; people I might have met professionally or not seen for a while. It feels strange that someone I work with on a day-to-day basis might have been struggling with such emotional heartache and I never knew. Perhaps I didn’t take the time to ask.
Having now read such personal accounts of a variety of break ups it has confirmed for me that there just aren’t any rules for mourning a break up. Every situation is different, every person has their own backstory and every relationship and break up has its own nuances.
Although, I do think it is important to talk about it. Break ups are something we all experience and sometimes sharing the pain and emotional journey with others really can help. We can support one another and eventually the pain will become something positive (or at least accepting) and we can look towards a bright future.
I know I am a comedian and I make jokes but I too have had my share of devastating experiences. My mourning process is creating tales that make other people smile. Hey, it works for me.
