They say that you should only marry for true love…what if “they” are wrong?
He was my rebound after my first true heartbreak, and we started dating way, way too soon.
When he shocked me by popping the question, my stomach dropped and I physically wanted to run.
Every fiber in my body was yelling no, no, no!
Having to call our parents immediately to share the news was just torture.
He is truly my other half in life and without him I would be so lost.
Unfortunately, my back got worse when we returned and I lost my job one month after the wedding.
I struggled with being unemployed and in pain.
My wife and I were on again off again in our early twenties.
Madi Robson
She actually has mental illness, severe anxiety, and depression but she didnt know it then.
I did, though, I proposed with my own free will and everything.
Now, she has been to doctors and therapy and she deals much less with the anxiety and depression.
Im so happy Im with her right now.
She is my best friend and my lover.
I truly expect to spend the rest of my life with her and be happy!
My story has all the makings of a bad Harlequin romance.
I was young and in the military and met a very sweet Japanese girl.
However, her family didnt like the idea of her marrying an American serviceman.
She was very down-to-earth and conservative in her approach to life.
I wanted adventure and had big dreams.
I stood there at the altar that day and really had my doubts.
But we had been through so much that I just couldnt tell her the truth.
That was almost 30 years ago.
Over the years weve worked together and well compromise.
We found that her strengths complemented mine.
We have often joked that we are like two halves of a jigsaw puzzle perfectly together.
It has taken time and patience but we really have a very ideal relationship after all these years.
He genuinely seemed to care for me and love me.
So, even though I knew I didnt love him as much, we could make it work.
We had a fairly inexpensive wedding, moved in together and take care of each other.
He pays the bills, I cook and clean, and we both put up with each others shit.
Longer than we knew each other.
So he lied every day for 5 years, and thats what Im dealing with now.
My test came out negative, somehow.
But it still feels like a deal breaker.
Probably the best decision I ever made.
Weve been married almost 2 years and together 6.
I knew from a couple of months into the relationship that I didnt love her.
She came from a terrible home situation, and she was severely depressed with borderline personality disorder to boot.
I felt so sorry for her.
I honestly worried that if I left her, she would commit suicide.
She had two little girls who needed someone stable, and normal in their lives.
We fought almost daily.
Towards the end, our fighting got so bad that it was sometimes physical.
Never punching, or hitting, but shoving and grabbing one another.
I felt like I was losing control of myself.
After we had been married for a while she started bringing men around: friends from work.
I have since remarried, to someone I do love with all my heart.
There simply isnt enough time for me to adequately express all of the different ramifications of that relationship.
just…dont stay with someone unless youre sure.
I have been married for 31 years for just that very reason.
I still feel stuck.
Many things have happened in the years that should have made me leave but I stay.
My therapist is helping me become healthy enough mentally so I can finally be free.
This was me for ten years, until I finally left.
I remember knowing I didnt want to marry him, but he was dependent on me.
It was an interaction with a random stranger that told me I was beautiful.
He made it as hard as he could to leave, but five years later Im much happier.
I was going to break up with him the night he proposed.
We were watching a band at a bar, drinking beer, having a good time.
When I said yes, we hugged and he yelled WE JUST GOT ENGAGED!
and everyone standing around drinking beers with us.
I kept trying to figure out what to do, and how/whether to break up.
I
Were celebrating our 20th anniversary next year.
Were the best of partners.
We have great companionship, honesty, support, trustworthiness.
Weve got 2 great kids.
Weve supported each other through our sons cancer, the death of our dads, marital highs and lows.
And we love each other.
So, I guess its going pretty well.
We made the choice to stay for the kid when I became pregnant at 17.
Even on my wedding day, all I wanted to do was run away.
Its been eight years and I cant say things have always been perfect.
We built our lives from the ground up and its been a privilege.
Weve fought, nearly split a couple of times but we always come back to each other.
Hes my best friend and I really dont want to spend my time with anyone but him.
About a year ago I actually found out he didnt want to get married either.
He wanted to run away just as much as I did.
Turns out he was thinking the same thing.
In other words, it is not going well.
We were never compatible.
But I couldnt bring myself to walk away, so instead, I tried to make us compatible.
The problems never got better, they only ever got worse.
I will be surprised if I am still married a year from now.
After deciding to see how things would work out, we eventually got married.
Three kids and 4 grandkids later, we are preparing to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary next month.
Its been a wonderful life.
