We separated for 6 months. It was hard, but I got used to being alone. My son was in high school, my daughter in middle school. We emailed info back and forth, and one day he asked me if we could get a cup of coffee. I told him to come over while the kids were at school. He came in with 18 dozen roses. No sh it. One dozen for every year we had been married. He said "I am an idiot and a fool. I cannot live without you." We dated for a couple of weeks, laid out some "rules". That was ten years ago. I can honestly say we are better from it. But it was EXCRUCIATING.