![]() |
Inspirational Information |
|
|
Product Testing
Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 24, 2002 I suppose there are worse problems than having two men who want to share their life with me. However, it is a genuine problem. I do need advice on sorting this all out. My former husband and I wanted a baby and soon had one. The problems in our marriage stemmed from two teenage daughters from his first marriage. Their mom jumped ship after 10 years to "find herself," leaving him to raise the girls. Suffice it to say the girls were extremely hard on me, and his family didn't accept that three years after his divorce, he moved on. We sought counseling, but it didn't resolve anything. I grew weary trying to raise two girls that hated me and dealing with his hostile family. That was four years ago. For the next two years he was so bitter I left he wouldn't speak to me, and all communication was through third parties. Life has been difficult for me raising a son on my own. I had to sell the home I bought for the two of us and am still struggling financially. After two years, I met a man with a son the same age as mine, and the boys rapidly became like brothers. His father and I also developed a close, intimate relationship, and he is financially successful. We've been together nearly two years and bought a home with the intention of getting married soon. My current relationship never had the spark of sexual and emotional intensity my former husband and I shared. Still, we were content until I talked to my former husband for the first time in almost two years. Therein lies the catch. My former husband says now that his youngest daughter has moved out, he is free to live life as he wants. He gives me flowers, writes me love notes, and says he wants to devote the rest of his years to bringing up our son together. I never fell out of love with him, I just left the marriage lonely and very hurt. He says he, too, spent a long time trying to heal and is now ready to try to put it together again. We are not having sex. I know better. But my former husband gives me the attention I crave in my current relationship and don't get. It seems odd to me that if a man really wanted to share his life with his son and his son's mother, he could tolerate them living with another man. I also find it unusual that my boyfriend, as an adult man, is willing to tolerate the advances of any man toward the woman he hopes to marry. My third option would be to tell each man, politely, that neither made a perfect mate for me. Unfortunately, I'm in no position to be without a helpmate. I'm not holding out for a perfect relationship anymore. I realize that just doesn't exist, at least not in my world. Jenna Jenna, your dilemma is like the automobile comparisons in Consumer Reports. Each vehicle offers different features, and what matters most is personal preference. Do you most value safety, styling, or fuel economy? Your ex-husband didn't defend you against his family, and people who remarry usually rediscover the good reason they divorced in the first place. Your boyfriend is a good person with no passion, but there is companionship for your son. In the old song "Torn Between Two Lovers," a woman can't decide between two men, which means neither feels right. There is another song from the Hebrides, which contains the line "Thou art the music of my heart." That's what it feels like when the connection is true. What you decide will be largely driven by financial need, so the question you ask is not one we can answer. What do you most value--safety, styling, or fuel economy? Wayne & Tamara About The Author Authors and columnists Wayne and Tamara Mitchell can be reached at www.WayneAndTamara.com. Send letters to: Direct Answers, PO Box 964, Springfield, MO 65801 or email: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Inspirational - Google News |
RELATED ARTICLES
What Footsie Taught Us! We have just inherited a rag, tag and bobtail of a dog called 'Footsie'. She was found three weeks ago wandering around outside a local restaurant for a couple of days looking for food. 7 Keys for Joyful Living! Here are some thoughts for finding and experiencing joy in your life. If there were one thing I could wish upon my family, friends and the readers of this Ezine, it would be joy in everything they do!Know your purpose. Beyond the River: Kabbalahs Guidance for Our Times "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move ourselves in the opposite direction. Personal Fear of Change and How to Change It! It's interesting how we intellectually know that tomorrow will be different from yesterday, or even different from today. We know this based on experience. Timepieces Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 2, 2003I am a father of three teenagers. The older boy and girl are obedient, good at their studies, and helpful around the home. A Feline Example On Courage Fangs. Killer claws. Don't Give Up! Don't let anyone kid you. The road to self improvement and personal growth is not a short, straight, well-marked, paved highway. What is the Meaning of Life? A young man in search of enlightenment had traveled to Tibet at great expense and more than a little consternation amongst his family and friends. It was a week before he was allowed to speak with a red-capped administrator of the Dalai Lama's personal staff; in the meantime he enjoyed the wondrous sights of the Himalayas. Using Failure to Further Your Future "You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." Margaret ThatcherFailure. Discover How To Make The Success Generating Imagination Work For You The secret power of positive thinkers is their faith. And this faith is the power of God working through their imagination. Anam Cara - Losing your Religion I am sitting before a window of morning light "losing my religion."I feel fine about this. Those Who Sleep Get Sliced Chang lived in Flushing, Queens. Every afternoon he rode the train into Manhattan to work in the post office. How Would YOU React To Tragedy Like This? The true story I'm about to share will have a profound impact on you, just as it did on me.One day a mother was in her kitchen doing the dishes, when through the window, out of the corner of her eye, she saw an alligator moving across the lake behind the family's Florida home. How To Be a Champion in Your Life Are you left with inspiration but no action after hearing, reading, and watching stories about other people who are successful? If so, you're not alone. I've got a question for you: Why watch Oprah when you can be on Oprah instead? Don't you see different guests on her show every day? They're people just like you. Important Things to Know / Remember About Life I love you not because who you are, but because who I am when I am with you There is no one in this world that worth your tears, and if they are, they will never make you cry. If someone loves you not in the way you would like to, it does not mean that they don not love you in their own way A good friend is the one that will hold your hand and will touch your heart. Making the Most of Your Peak and Off-peak Times What is the most essential part of your business? You are!As small business owners, we think we should be working on our business 24 hours a day. Breaks and quiet time are an increasingly rare event. Alone But Not Lonely In today's fast paced society, we've become accustomed to filling the eeriness of silence with fluff. We turn to many distractions as a means of escaping feelings of idleness or boredom. Rightful Owner Direct Answers - Column for the week of January 20, 2003I was recently looking through some old photos when I found some of an ex-boyfriend when he was a child. I remember him telling me at the time these were the only photos that exist of him as a child, and that these are the only copies. Energy Work Basics Part 1: So What is Energy? Everything is made of energy. Atoms, molecules, light, sound and color have energy. Two Choices That can Make Next Year The Best Year of Your Life What if there were just two choices you could make to insure that next year would be wonderful? There actually are, and these choices are quite simple in concept, yet not easy to do. They are not things you do on the outside, such as exercising your body (which is always a good thing to do!) but ways of thinking and being on the inside. |
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |