After the Divorce, a Party?

    One family is coming together to celebrate a brother’s new life as a single man. The Heintz family is putting together a divorce party to celebrate the end of Greg Heintz’s three-year marriage.           

 Kristy Heintz, of New York City told her brother Greg, 35, that she would throw him a party when it was final. At first, he seemed to laugh it off. “The first thought that came to mind was ‘I never heard of that before.’ I became intrigued and thought it would be a fun and exciting time to start a new chapter in my life,”  Greg said.            

Greg has been through a difficult time as his marriage has ended, Kristy said. The idea of a party is turning things around for him. “It’s something involved with his divorce that is actually making him happy. It’s positive,” Kristy said. “That’s our goal here – keep this whole negative thing in a positive light.”            

Kristy said Greg has been worried about the stigma of divorce, but also worried about being alone. “He was feeling like he was the only one, a cross he had to bear by himself,”  Kristy said. “But a lot of people get divorced.” So the idea of a divorce party began. 

Kristy and her four other brothers plan to invite as many of Greg‘s friends and family as they can find. “We’re spanning the tri-state area here,”  Kristy said. “We’re really trying to dig deep.” The party is planned for January, when Greg‘s divorce is final. One of his brother’s even mentioned holding the party where he and his soon-to-be-ex had their first date. “He literally lit up! He said, ‘Yes!’ It’s turning a place that had been an awkward memory into a place where we can tie it to something happy,” Kristy said.

Kristy said she thinks the idea of the divorce party has helped Greg realize the support he has during this life transition. As a family, the party is the beginning of Greg’s new life. They are planning to bring together as many people as they can, both old friends and new, to celebrate Greg’s fresh start. “He has a really nice wedding, so why shouldn’t you have a party to celebrate the end?” Kristy said.

For Greg, the party will be the starting point for repairing what he lost during his marriage. “I am looking forward to starting over again. It will become a quest to find the right person eventually. I do plan to marry again but not sure of the time frame. Right now, it will to just be good to go out and do things that make myself happy. This is something I lost during my marriage,” Greg said. “This party will mark the beginning of my new, happier life.