Bubba - It's nice to have "senior statesmen" like you, MrsT, and SSQ giving advice here...bubbajack wrote:From these rather remarkable exchanges in which you indicate that you highly value honesty - highly enough that you offer her a category-changing concession that she may "cheat" in return for her agreeing to it, and she rejects that deal (wha-a-a-a?) I think we can reasonably conclude two things: 1. The right to cheat and all the other things you have offered are not interesting enough to her to give you what you want; and 2. She may or may not really be seeking the right to lie to you, but she is definitely holding out.
I would not think retaining the right to lie is what she really is aiming at here. After all, what good is that? People don't need permission to lie -especially with regard to the "whole truth" leg of the oath witnesses in Court have to swear. Lying by omission happens every day and is damn difficult to avoid and to detect. The ancient conundrum about Cretans and liars comes to mind - What is after all either true or false about a statement which ends with " ... And I'm not lying"?
I think she wants something different from you and I think she's getting it: she wants you to suffer as you have made her suffer.
I don't say this is necessarily a conscious strategy on her part - I'm not sure how self-aware either one of you are - but she has to be feeling some little thrill of satisfaction seeing you a hollow-eyed shell of your usual self, eating your guts out, miserable. And who ever said or believed that married persons' relations can be summed up or accounted for in wholly rational terms? Lots of murky stuff in there, and why wouldn't there be? Look at what makes a marriage - two all too human humans!![]()
I think this is either too fresh or past the point where mediation or cognitive therapy can do much to help. You are either going to get through somehow or split and no one, perhaps you two least of all, has the slightest idea which way you are headed as a couple.
I totally don't get why she won't take my offer! It makes no sense, and is driving me crazy. Perhaps you are right - the only benefit is to drive me crazy, but she's not really like that?!?!
Her words are "When it comes to lying, I feel like an alcoholic that is just trying to get sober. I feel like making a commitment to not lie, when I know in my heart I may slip up as I did before, that such a commitment is too soon. I could tell you what you want to hear, but that is not constructive. I don't want to lie to you, but I don't yet trust myself not too. Give me time to work though this myself. Please don't pressure me until I'm ready"
She literally just read this blog and called me. I literally just asked her this question: why are you not taking the deal?
Her response: "Lots has happened in a short time. I'm still processing everything. You HW blog makes it seem like weeks when it's been just days. The twists and turns in out lives are dramatic. I'm just trying to sort out my feelings and come up with the right words to go with the sincere feelings"
One thing she says often is "One thing I have figured out for sure is that I love you and I love my family and I am not leaving you or my family". I don't believe in my heart either of us has any interest in any sort of separation.
The funny (or not so funny) thing is that everyone on this forum thinks our marriage is in trouble. She says "relax - we we fine!" and I say "How come everyone reading about this thinks we are in trouble, did I misrepresent anything", she say "NO, it's pretty accurate". Then I ask "so, why does everyone see this differently?" and she say "I'm not sure. It's sad."
She prayed out loud last night for God to give us strength to get through this together. I think we will.