Dear Christine,
I am dealing with a situation and need your advice urgently.
I have been married for five years and during the past two-and-a-half years my husband has been running around with all types of women – some he has brought to our home. Time and time again people say, “You have to forgive him.”
Christine, I have done that over and over again. What more can I do? Thankfully, we have no children together, but he has one from a previous relationship. That child is 18 years old and does not live with us.
My mother-in-law and I get on really well together and his siblings and I have a wonderful relationship. His mother is aware of his infidelity and always gives me moral support when he goes off on his “running-around sprees”.
Christine, it is because of the loving relationship between his family and me that I have tried to keep the marriage together. My question to you is, am I doing the right thing by trying to hold on or should I leave this so-called husband of mine?
– R.S.
Dear R.S.,
First I must point out that you are not married to your husband’s family. You are married to him. No matter how great the relationship is between you and his relatives, that should not be the main reason for you to stay in this marriage.
If your husband continues to run around with all sorts of women, he is putting your health at risk – that is, if there is still a sexual relationship between you two.
You have no reason whatsoever to stay in a marriage where there is no respect, no love or infidelity. In fact, you have legal grounds for a divorce and it is entirely up to you to decide if you will make good on those grounds.
I guess everyone wants their marriage to last but in this imperfect world in which we live, sometimes it’s best to break loose and start over again.
– CHRISTINE