Thanks for continuing to post comments in The Husband's story. I don't have an ETA for his next installment, but I'll let you know when I do. (Mustn't be a nag here, you understand) He's been reluctant to even read here since his post, I think because he's expecting ya'll to bash him - but you have been very gracious. But we do bash us some "cheaters" here in the USofA, while simultaneously glamorizing cheating in various and sundry media. Next stop: Crazy. All aboard!
Reader Colleen had an ultimately thoughtful comment, but it started out like something The Old Stepford Moi would say:"My husband and I have a no cheat policy. There are no redos allowed. If he cheats, i'm gone. simple as that."
Colleen, I had NO grace for adultery before this. None. Zero. I clearly remember discussing our friend's cheating spouse with The Husband. The couple was separated at the time, but she was going to re-start marriage counseling and try to reconcile. At the time, we were in our car headed to our house closing. It was June 2003; oddly enough I remember exactly where we were in town during this conversation. So our friend was going to move toward saving her marriage and I expressed to The Husband in no uncertain terms that she was an idiot and he should be out on his rear immediately. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. Don't let the back door hit you where the good Lord split you, if you know what I mean. And I believe that you do.
The Husband looked over at me and said, "You have NO grace" and I replied, "Not for this, I don't" and got all uppity and self-righteous and how-dare-he-even-remotely-attempt-to-disagree-with-me on this topic. Ya'll. I can't remember what I had for breakfast (hell, I even flew through a stoplight today with my mind completely elsewhere - have NO recollection of doing it - the cop just slapped my hand. Literally. Asked me for my hand and slapped it. No ticket though. Love him!) and I have Total Recall of this very conversation? Coincidence? I think not.
Now, this friend ended up divorced in the end, and her ex-husband was a serial adulterer, which I think is a significant distinction. But nonetheless, there we were and here we are. This, too, could be you in Five Easy Steps (down a slippery slope...). Don't presume to know what you'd do here. You may be quite surprised that you don't truly know your heart/strength/faith until times such as these. Cue inspirational music. No, really. I had no good idea of who I was and what I truly believed until faced with this. My world boiled down to the essentials right quick-like.
[AIS note after blog deletion summer 2011: if after all these posts are restored, I am somehow able to port over all the comments from my unbelievably insightful & wonderful Invisible Internet Readers since 2006 I will absolutely do it. But for now, sadly, Stepford has lost it's prior audience comments]
