Yes, you do have a

Guest — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:20:14 -0400

Yes, you do have a tremendous amount to think about and figure out. Your husband has been very supportive- he seems like a great partner. However, if you are having these doubts you really do owe him to tell him what is going on. He deserves that from you. It seems incredibly difficult- yet necessary. Good luck. CM

The Unraveling

Maya Halpen — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:00:00 -0400

Rob has been a rock as my family of origin unraveled into a tangled web of sickness, betrayal, and tenuous alliances over the past year. But I've learned that alone, providing enduring support in the face of tragedy is not enough to keep a marriage together.

Soon after my parents' recent divorce, my father was diagnosed with rapidly progressing Alzheimer's Disease. My brother, an alcoholic, took on power of attorney and health care agency for our ailing father, and guilted me into agreeing to madcap schemes for his care. Though I had already written the mean old man out of my life for neglecting and hating me as a child, there is no one else to help (mother is happily married elsewhere), and so I took a bit of responsibility, embroiling myself in a disastrous mess. The dysfunction is off the charts.

Through it all, Rob has listened carefully, offered sane advice, and accompanied me on difficult visits to my father.

So despite the lack of romance, attraction, or even sex, I can't say our relationship is without incredible benefits.

However, by now I've bucked up enough to deal with my father and brother without collapsing at every new turn. Last year I didn't dare give up on my marriage because I needed Rob's support elsewhere in my life. (Writing that, I realize I'm a bit of a user.) Now that I don't need him, and there's nothing else keeping us together, a new unraveling has begun.

firstwivesworld - The Unraveling - Comments

Yes, you do have a

The Unraveling