Article August 6, 2012 ISSUE

Undivorced from good

Name withheld

My 19-year marriage seemed perfect until the day I discovered my husband’s infidelity. Then my entire world was turned upside down. Distraught, I searched for reasons why this was happening to me. Why wasn’t I good enough? What had I done to cause him to stray? The tears I cried could have filled a small pond.

Following many failed attempts to convince my husband to join me in marriage counseling, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. I filed for divorce. Fear assailed me as I took that step. How would I live on just one salary? Where would I live? How was I going to exist alone? Already, other married couples who were friends had dropped out of sight. With family members located thousands of miles away in distant states, I was left with only two close friends. I felt such emptiness and fear of the future without my husband. The human mind was sending strong messages of loss, sadness, loneliness, jealousy, and anger.