Don’t Discount Dignity as Adultery isn’t Necessarily the Death Knell of Marriages.
So I caught up with an old friend “Geraldine” over lunch. Now divorced with two daughters after 10 years of marriage, she disclosed why she called it quits.
Was it adultery, gambling, physical abuse or alcoholism? It was none of this but just three words her ex husband said to her: “You are weak”. I immediately recalled late singer Whitney Houston revealing to Oprah Winfrey that she called it quits after her husband spat in her face, but what’s the connection?
Both Houston and Geraldine put up with lack of support and marital issues, but one thing they could not tolerate was being humiliated and losing their dignity. I’m guessing Geraldine finally awoke to the idea that she was more than what her Husband made her out to be—an incompetent wife and mother. She decided to reclaim her dignity and self respect.
How well do couples know of themselves when they marry or enter into relationships? Loyalty, commitment and responsibility are well and good but where does self respect, individualism and dignity fit in?