SHE Confession # 11: Break Up Etiquette

 I've noticed that sometimes men will take measures to inhibit a woman's emotional response to a breakup which I think is neither appropriate nor fair to the woman. Here's my story, I hope all who have been in this same position will relate and appreciate. I had been dating this guy for about a year and he decided to drop the bomb in the middle of a dinner date at a fine dining restaurant. I quickly realized how he had "choreographed" everything by choosing such a venue so that I would restrain my emotions, and even took additional steps, like picking a table in the middle of the room rather than a more private space. So, I turned the tables on him in a big way. First I ordered the most expensive desserts on the menu, one for each of us. Having a degree in the Theatre Arts, I figured I'd make good use of those skills by staging a dramatic exit complete with a fabricated I exclaimed "I can't believe you've been cheating on me all this time!”  And then I stood up, reached across the table and delivered a hard slap across his face that was heard throughout the room. I had the presence of mind to remove his glasses just before administering the slap so they wouldn't go flying across the room upon impact. (He never did thank me for that) There was complete silence in the immediate aftermath and all you could hear was the sound of my high heels hitting the hardwood floor as I stormed off.  I wonder if he ever ate those desserts I ordered ;-) Stephanie Nguyen

SHE Confession #9: Broken

He once loved me intensely.  As a result of that love a jealousy and fear grew within me.  I always knew I never wanted to feel what it would be like to be without his love… I knew I would shatter to pieces if I ever discovered he loved another as or more intensely than he loved me.  I knew there were others and though it thoroughly pissed me off, I knew they were not me so I weathered through it.  I knew their exchanges didn't measure up to a tenth of the love we had between us. That all changed the day I discovered her existence.

She was the one that set everything in motion.  She changed us for good. She changed our bond, our love, our marriage and our family permanently.  She affected us in ways that I can’t even begin to express.  She had impeccable timing that became his everything, all that he looked forward to.  Until this very day I wonder if they know the magnitude and the devastation they caused….most likely not. I’m sure she couldn't have given even one single damn.

She was the one he now called with excitement when it used to be me.  She was the one that motivated him to make frequent trips to the corner store (so he could freely answer her missed calls).  She motivated him to return to our marriage bed just before dawn and sometimes not at all.  Over time I began to see the extra effort he was making in his appearance for her that he once made for me.

Their need for each other although a complete bliss for them, started a deterioration within me.  I allowed their nascent romance to rob me of my aspirations and my dreams.  He was so embedded within me that without him I now felt so broken.  I no longer wanted anything to do with what reminded me of them, even if that meant him too. Our home became a cold reminder of what was, what could be but, now isn't. It became an emotive prison and I wanted out.

I became so emotionally weak but, my heart became hardened.  To him and everyone else I appeared bitter, stubborn and strong willed. Inside I was dying and trying so hard not to breakdown.  I allowed their actions to strip my self-worth, self-respect and confidence.  A once self-assured woman now diffident and weak. Alone I remain for no one could ever be him to me, no one could ever be us.  It’s been well over seven years now and broken I remain.

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Is "HE" Cheating on "SHE" via Social Media?

Hello my wonderful SHE & HEs. I was contacted by the casting office of Relativity Television. They appear to be some of the same people behind the hit show "Catfish". They currently are working on a show that some may find relatable or interesting.  It is based on women who think their boyfriend or husbands are cheating on them “ONLINE” through social media.  

Apparently this is a huge problem that has become more prevalent in today’s relationships, yet few people are publicly discussing it. Currently they are working on the first therapy show that will tackle these types of relationship issues.  

This is not supposed to be a sleazy talk show; it’s going to be a one hour special on a major cable network. The host will be Dr. Ramani., a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor of Psychology. She's known to have a passion for helping others to live their happiest and healthiest lives. If interested in participating refer to the contact information listed.

SHE Confession #8: The Disarray of Matrimony

I loved two men in my life. I loved them enough to marry them. I also even loved them enough to divorce them just as well. The first marriage was in my late teens and ended before I was even legal to drink. The latter I married a few years shortly after. Both of those marriages painfully ended to my dismay. I take the brunt of the blame. Reason being, my selection process. Although they were very different in many ways, it was like I had chosen the exact same man twice.

I believed both men truly loved me but, not enough to give up their bachelor like ways. They were both men who thrived for the nightlife and lived for the streets, seven days a week. They both had the mentality that this is who they were and I just had to accept it if I wanted to be in their world. Neither one of them disclosed such behavior when we were courting. Perhaps they did but, the dopamine high affected my better judgment. I was also naive in thinking I could try to change either of them. I tried a series of things in both marriages. I tried talking it out, expressing my feelings, fighting about it and lastly, I tried the two can play that game strategy. Neither of these things ever really worked.

After going through the dissatisfaction of failing marriage number two, I finally realized that it was wrong of me to expect change from someone who didn't want to change or feel the need for the change. I had to learn to try to accept people for who they are. I can choose to deal with them as they are or I can choose not to. What made me finally move on from the second marriage was when I realized that I was doing all the compromising and through all the compromising I lost my sense of self, who I was along the way.

Depression had set in and I was not characteristically recognizable to those who knew and loved me. So after two decades of marriage I mustered up the courage to leave. I left him not because I stopped loving him; I left because I had to start loving me again. Leaving him was about reclaiming my sense of self-worth back, becoming strong and whole again. If by chance I should have a go at love again, hopefully it will be with someone whose values fit with my own or one that is willing to compromise for the sake of the relationship.

Image credit: fuzzbones / 123RF Stock Photo