My story is a little different from the norm if that's possible ... but thought it might be worth mentioning so therefore might help in the slightest way to some that might read this (??)

My parents are actually separated BUT still living under the same roof and have been since about 1974.

My Dad was never around to be seen unless you caught a glimpse of him coming home at midnight. My parents rarely communicated other then yelling. Mum pretty much brought us up & did everything for us 3 girl's, and Dad would provide what little money he earned. Poor Dad we felt for him cause he thought he did the right thing in marrying our Mum but didn't realise the dominant character she would be.

Sadly my Mum didn't want to marry my Dad but because she as 17 and pregnant to Dad and it was 1956 when there were no single parents pensions let alone any financial or emotional support from the community & her Aunt threatened if she didn't marry him she was on the streets with nowhere to go.

So Mum married him at 5mths pregnant.

They were two people miserable with each other and it spilled out in our lives as children & teens & still even now. (I came along 9years after my older sis & my younger sis 5years after me).

My parents slept in separate rooms since my younger sister was 4 and their lives were separate. And my younger sister will be 40 this year and my parents still sleep in separate rooms and their lives with each other are just a conveince now in helping each other in day to day needs.

The only thing my two sisters & i ever wished for were two things #1. that they should have they divorced many, many years ago so they could have fullfilling & happy lives for themselves ... and #2. so us as their children could have had a much more peaceful upbringing.

So my mentioning my little story i hope it helps anyone that might doubt for a moment what would have been if they were to have stayed with their child's partner ... as it possibly could have been a very sad story likes my parents and my own unbringing IYKWIM !!

.......... " Negrita " WOW and what a beautiful Dad you have