It Takes a Stronger Person to Leave
When I stayed for as long as I did
--
Realizing a relationship is not working is difficult, but deciding exactly what to do is even more difficult.
Most of us have been in situations where we’ve loved someone enough to work hard at keeping the relationship moving forward and hurdling through all obstacles. Others of us have made the decision to throw in the towel, knowing that loving ourselves is much more important than continuing to deal with a relationship that brings more negative feelings than positive ones.
I’m in the group that threw in the towel.
My ex and I had a child together and then we got engaged. I was his savior, his rock, and his backbone. And then he cheated on me. That wasn’t the first time, but it was the last straw.
I should have left way before I did. I stayed and when the baby arrived, it only made it harder to leave. I didn’t have the strength back then. I was comfortable, so I stayed year after year, knowing that my heart was good and I deserved so much better.
Realizing a relationship is not working is difficult, but deciding exactly what to do is even more difficult.
No relationship is perfect. Every relationship has its problems and issues, but it gets to a point where you must decide what’s acceptable and what’s a deal-breaker. It is the hardest decision you will ever make in your life, but you must decide what you are willing to work through and what is no longer working.
Cheating to me is a huge act of deception and betrayal. When someone cheats, any trust left is damaged.
For many people, the biggest reason for staying after cheating has happened is for the sake of the children and/or finances. For others, cheating causes damage that can never be repaired.
If you choose to stay in an unhealthy relationship that is mentally, verbally, emotionally, or physically abusive for the sake of the kids or money, that’s a lack of strength and self-love, and that was true for me.
When I stayed for as long as I did, I wasn’t strong enough to step out on my own because I had gotten so comfortable and I…
