When I saw a friend tonight, she called me over with a conspiratorial look on her face. She looked around to make sure nobody else was listening. She wanted my opinion.
She told me she’s met a new man. She was excited about it. Almost giddy. I asked the typical questions about the man and where they met. She eagerly told me how much happier she is to have him to talk with as they’re getting to know each other.
She sounded like a 16-year-old who had just discovered love.
There’s only one problem. My friend is married. It’s a terrible marriage. They still live in the same house — with children — and there’s been a lot of talk about divorce. But she’s definitely — legally and firmly — still married.
It’s not my place to lecture someone about doing what’s right. She asked for my opinion, but I don’t think she really wanted it. I think she just wanted tacit permission to do what she wanted to do.
I outlined the issues as I saw them. I told her that if she wanted to pursue someone else, she owed it to everyone involved to finish dealing with her current situation. Otherwise, she was just going to be multiplying the drama and the stress in her life.
“You already know what to do,” I told her. “You don’t need me to tell you what’s right.”
“But this is what I want,” she said. “It makes me happy.”
Each experience of beauty and love stands alone, different from the rest
Living without human connection? It’s an empty life with no meaning
Loss of respect for truth leads to remorseless liar’s excuses
Biases teach us what to expect, but we often turn out to be wrong
Rodney Dangerfield wasn’t funny, but tenacity built career as comic
In the old Ginger or Mary Ann debate, I wanted a third choice
Forget your partner’s best traits; worst traits predict your future
A year later, late-night phone call and suicide threat still echo in me
A ‘faux father’ loves being adored, but a real father is there full-time