These stories are inherently so depressing. I was a child during the height of the "Me Decade" years of the late 70s and recall vividly many of my friends' parents abandoning their responsibilities to their families to go shack up, have an affair, all under the excuse of "I need to find myself" or other similar selfish nonsense.
The kids didn't just "get over it." They were devastated. Their worlds were ruined. I have friends today, 50 years old, and they never got over their parents walking out on them when they were children.
In contrast, I have my 1959 Little League directory. It lists the parents of all 240 players: 239 two-parent families.
True. My mom at the same time didn’t leave my dad but became part of that feminist ideal - working 60+ hr weeks and leaving me to the wolves. I wish they had been literal wolves. Horrible.
My kids got me 100%, still do.