ABOUT ANDY

I’m Andy, Catholic life coach, and
I know these seasons firsthand.

Certified Professional Life Coach

I remember waking up on what would have been my 12th wedding anniversary, August 26, overcome with grief. I had spent months an excruciating wait for the signed divorce decree. It was disorienting to still be married on paper and in the eyes of the Church while the life I had dreamed about was already over.

Desperate for a father's blessing, I went to my parish and asked our pastor for one, which he gave freely. When I got home, I found the signed divorce decree in my inbox, dated August 23, days earlier. I was touched by God the Father's love for me as His daughter in that moment, and by the assist of my confirmation saint, Rose of Lima, onwhose feast day the decree had been signed. Even now, as a grown woman, I love that she was still looking out for me.

But then it really hit me: the life I was promised was over…..
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Now what?

I began my annulment paperwork right away, even though a part of me was afraid of what I might be stirring up by doing it. I did it anyway, and after waiting a year, as is customary in our diocese, I submitted my petition. Thanks to timely responses from witnesses and an efficient tribunal, a judgment was able to be made within six months, and I did receive a Decree of Nullity.

The life I had envisioned together was over, and I was free. I was still stewarding the fruits of that union, but the future we had planned together was gone.

Freedom brought relief, but it also brought its own feeling of now what?

Answering that question meant coming home to my true identity as a beloved daughter, and starting my own journey of discovering what I wanted from this new season of life: what mattered to me now, how God was asking me to live, and what purpose this life I hadn’t planned might still hold.

I did what I could, and I waited on God for the rest. In time, that waiting led to women coming to me for help, which spurred me to become a coach myself, earning my Certified Professional Life Coach credential through an International Coaching Federation accredited program. I've been walking with women in this way for years now.

I discovered it's possible to be alone without believing my life is on hold. I could still long for things I didn’t have and, at the same time, let Jesus be the spouse of my soul and trust Him with what came next. Learning to trust that He will be with us, no matter what life brings, has been the true source of peace for me, and what I most desire for every woman walking through this.