There is one individual who is happy that my divorce is taking place, and he has been with me for even longer than my wife and stepdaughter were. He’s 15 years old and his name is Starlight.

For the last four years, his existence had suffered because a loud mad puppy was always barking at him. He never got to sit in the sun by the glass doors; he never got to set foot in the kitchen, and frequently he had to be “put away” to give the dog temporary run of the house. Living in fear, he was, that the mighty dog might escape and put his head in her mouth once again.

Now, Star has the run of the house and he couldn’t be happier (apparently having forgotten about Mommy and Sissy already). He spends his morning lying in the sun by the door on an old towel and the evenings on his makeshift bed – a spare bathroom rug – in the hallway where he can hear me telling him goodnight as I walk from the computer room to the bedroom. He goes to sleep early like me, around 8 or 9:00, and wakes up when he hears me turn on the TV in the morning as I’m getting ready for my walk or shower.

He’s actually been a huge help during the past 44 days — even though he’s not human, having a living, breathing being in the house has been good for me. And just look at that smile! I should be so lucky to be so happy about my new-found freedom. I’m trying.