They got divorced two years ago, but Amy Poehler is finally breaking her silence on her divorce from Will Arnett. The actress certainly never owed us a comment on such a personal aspect of her life, but the one she gave was totally thoughtful and honest. In an excerpt from her upcoming book Yes Please, Poehler kept the details brief saying it was "too sad" and "too personal" to discuss, but did offer up a great metaphor for the situation. "Imagine spreading everything you care about on a blanket and then tossing the whole thing up in the air," she wrote. "The process of divorce is about loading that blanket, throwing it up, watching it all spin, and worrying what stuff will break when it lands."
I mean, wow. I know Poehler is funny, but she's also able to be very real sometimes, and this is one of those instances. She perfectly summed up what I imagine it's like to go through that process and the way it punishes you over and over again.
When you are a person going through a divorce you feel incredibly alone, yet you are constantly reminded by society of how frequently divorce happens and how common it has become. You aren't allowed to feel special, but no one knows the specific ways you are in pain.
We still might never know the specifics of her divorce, and that's okay. It's not our place. But I do admire the sincere way Poehler approached the subject. There weren't any jokes made. Instead, the Parks and Recreation star rounded out the section by saying, "I am proud of how my ex-husband, Will, and I have been taking care of our children. I am beyond grateful he is their father, and I don't think a 10-year marriage constitutes failure." Still, she adds in an incredibly candid conclusion, "Getting a divorce really sucks."
As a child of divorce I can say, yes it does, and Poehler hit the nail on the head with all those feelings she had and still has. She didn't have to share those with us, but I feel privileged that she did — especially in such an open, honest way.
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