Yes, that is very painful to live through. I wasn't able to see my oldest son for over a year when my ex took him in the divorce. I became homeless and had to move to another state where someone offered me a place to live. My ex got my son, and he's had full custody ever since. Just after he turned 3 until after he was 4 years old, I didn't see him at all. Went from stay-at-home mom 24/7 to nothing.

I remember for the first 3 months thinking some judge was going to review my case and say "Wait a minute, this is not justice!" And be like a super hero swooping in. That didn't happen, of course. Finally I was able to reconcile enough with my dad that I was able to return. Otherwise, I would have never seen him again. But, I left a toddler and came back to a pre-schooler. Kids grow so fast in those years, it was surreal. Even now, I always have this errie feeling my baby is still floating around in my house somewhere, and the little boy that comes to visit is like a bait and switch. It hasn't been an easy thing to get over.

So, yeah. I know how painful that is.