MEMOIR
The Silly Toy That Exposed My Broken Marriage
My heart knew that this was about more than a gift.
It was just a damn Woody doll, but it marked the beginning of the end of my marriage.
Based on the quickness of my breath and stinging eyes, you’d think it was much more than a silly toy from Toy Story.
But it did mean more to me. It may have been just a damn Woody doll, but my heart was breaking in two.
After a year and a half at home with my baby boy, I had to go back to work. Perhaps it was hormones, but I was torn apart at the thought. We did everything together. God, I would miss those walks to the park, watching The Wiggles, and dancing to the Beatles with him.
“You just can’t stay home all day doing nothing,” Jason would say. “We need you to go back to work now.”
Financially, it made sense. Emotionally, I couldn’t understand it.
Toy Story played on the television in the background as it did most nights before bed. The whole conversation made my stomach hurt every time it came up. What was I going to do? I couldn’t go back to television production. It just wouldn’t work for me as a mother now. Plus he repeatedly reminded me that I gave up my career to have a baby. What could I possibly do…
