Thank you for giving me a second chance at happiness.

Sara Woodard-Ortiz began writing her blog The HeartFull Journey after going through a painful divorce two years ago. Below, Woodard-Ortiz, who lives in Illinois with her three-year-old daughter, writes a letter of unexpected gratitude to the ex-husband who left her.

Dear ex-husband,

I used to call you names behind your back after our divorce. The pain I felt after I found out you betrayed me was like no other pain I had experienced before. It ruined not only our marriage, but my self-confidence and my hopes and dreams for the future. To read more from Brittany Wong, click here.