WAS & LBS???? {a long one!!!}

[alexjadams]

Please Read

"Some people think that a WAW is hard, angry, cold. In a fog. There's more to her than that.

3 years ago, a woman laid in bed at night, not wanting to wake up in the morning. There was no way out. She couldn't divorce him. He would have visitation without her there to protect them. He had never hit them, but he surely didn't understand how to care for them. He didn't even know who they were.

She couldn't leave. She had no job, no way of putting food on the table for the children she loved. She had been independent for so long, & she trusted this man to provide for her. Now she lay in bed, wondering who he was, & how she got her. These were not the choices she would have made, if she had a 2nd chance.

She couldn't talk to him. He couldn't hear her. She desperately wanted to share herself with him. He had walls up. She couldn't penetrate them. He seemed so content to work, watch TV, eat & sleep. Why didn't he want more, like she ?

She felt trapped. She resented herself for letting him treat her this way for so long. He told her often enough, he was a good husband. She needed so much more from him. She tried telling him, for years she tried, then she cried, she begged, she pleaded, but he couldn't hear.

He was cold, hard, in a fog.

She tried everything, she read every book. She prayed her heart out. She tried to be more Christ-like. Figuring if she set the example, he would follow.

She knew it came down to two choices. Her children's happiness, or hers. She would sacrifice hers. She decided to stay, & raise the children, with this man who would never know her. When they moved out, so would she. Then she would salvage what was left of her.

She put her heart in a dusty old box in the top of the closet. It was easier. She didn't hurt anymore, she was numb.

When she finally quit trying, & tried to fill her hours with distractions, he noticed. His fog was lifting. He wasn't quite so cold, so hard. She didn't care. It was too late. She was numb. Her heart was in that box. She vowed never to take it out again.

She stumbled through her days, crossing them off in the calendar. Wondering how much longer she could live this way. Did her children see her unhappiness ? She wondered, are they better off with a single happy parent, or with two parents who co-exist ? The torment was eating her alive. What to do ?

By now, she wasn't sleeping. Wasn't eating. She pulled away from all of her friends. She was dying inside. She desperately wanted, needed to be loved, appreciated, noticed, cherished. She was a beautiful fragile flower slowly dying without water, sunshine & air.

When no one was watching, she cried. She cried til she ran out of tears. She wanted it to be over, she wanted the pain to stop. Everytime she looked at her husband, it reminded her of the pain. The pain that was consuming her. She turned to alcohol to numb the pain. Anything to make the pain go away. Her friends ask her why she's losing so much weight. She wonders, why can't anyone see that I'm dying here. She doesn't try to tell the man she shares a bed with, remember, he can't hear her.

She finally writes him a letter. She says she is done. They need to raise their children, & he's the only one who can be their dad. Now he's fully awake & out of his fog. He's scared. He had no idea how bad she hurt. He thought things were good. He's been living in a separate reality from her.

He says he'll change, he'll do anything, to make her happy. He says his family is the most important thing to him. She doesn't believe him. She's numb. Her heart is safely in that box. He tries, she watches. He tries some more, she watches. He's dying now. She's numb. Now he wants the pain to stop. She's numb. She wonders why did things have to go this far before he would hear me ? Now she doesn't want to talk to him. She's numb. Talking to him reminds her how much she used to hurt, she can see it in his eyes now. Her survival instincts kick in, at least she doesn't hurt now. She's numb.

The only place to go from numb is anger. He tries some more, she can see he's making changes. Now comes the buried anger. The anger that she wanted to express to him for all the years past. The anger she was afraid to show. He doesn't realize, angry is better than numb. He takes her anger. For 12 months he takes her anger. Sometimes he fights back, & when he does she goes numb again.

She's so scared to take her heart out of that dusty box. Numb is so much safer. Angry is so much safer. Does he know how hard it is for her. She knew the day that her children were born, that she would give her life for them. She just didn't know it would be like this.

Sometimes he tries to push her to heal faster. She's doing her best. He wants more from her at times. She's doing her best.

Some nights, the pain returns, & she remembers, & she just can't sleep. She's not numb anymore, and the anger is going away. She doesn't know how or where, but it is. She's so scared. Numb is safer. Angry is safer. If she gives in to her fear, to her sometimes overwhelming fear, everyone will call her a WAW. She wanted you to know."


if you look thru this whole Qoute you see he goes cold then slowly "Awakes from his fog"

the questions I ask of you is

1> if a WAW wrote this did she not see that he (her husband) was going thru his own issues and didn't handle them properly?

2> So with question #1 why should the LBS even care about what happens when the WAS "gets out of thier fog"

I conclude if we step out of our own head and into our spouse's and try to figure out what is really going on, the Marriage could be saved {WAS & LBS}

or we'll all end up like....

"My ex was a WAW. Like so many men I didn't see it coming and was just floored when it happened. I discovered DB in the aftermath when the relationship was well over. I tried the steps and went dark for a month. After a few weeks dark, she initiated contact and there was a glimmer of hope for bit, but the minute I started to feel like things could work out she was back to the same chaotic behavior. I finally had to take a hard look at my situation and I realized that I might be able to save my relationship if I was willing to fight it out for several months, maybe years. We met for dinner one night and I realized that it wasn't a path I could put myself through. I was already bitter about what were going through then and I couldn't imagine what I would be like after a year of that hell. I chose to close the door on the relationship and go on with life and it was the best decision I ever made. Two years out and I have a wonderful wife who is amazing and makes me thankful I made the decision I did. My WAW is now going through another divorce and has called me several times to let me know that she made a mistake and that she will never marry again. NOt that long ago I would have gloated over how right I was , now I just feel pity for her. My point is this gentlemen - if you are involved in a WAW situation, weigh carefully how far you're willing to go and what you're willing to put up with to make reconcile your marriage. A WAW is like a tornado, her life is a mass of choas that will will suck you up and throw you all over the place cauing untold damage. I sympathize and support those who are trying to make their marriage work and have children involved but if you're like I was (no kids just a crazy WAW who thought she knew exactly what she was doing) then consider what you're willing to go through. You didn't walk away, she did and a better life might be a lot closer than you think. I'm two years out from my WAW - I'm remarried and happier than I've ever been, her...well, she's asked me for help straightening out her life now but I'm not her husband anymore and can only do so much. Your choice - you didn't walk away and there are good women out there. I took what I learned here and used it my current marriage and while it may not be perfect, my eyes are open and I'm trying really hard not to make the same mistakes again. Two years out and truly, truly happy!! "

I see a WAS going thru Issues as well??? (She asks for help but its too late, where have I read that before?)
the 1st one shuts down (protects himself until forced to deal) & the 2nd one walks, could this be 2 people who just doesn't know how to deal with thier issues???

Last could the 2nd one be the ex-husband of the WAW of the 1st qoute?

[dtlewis]

I can't answer for anyone else,but in my situation: Yes, my wife could understand part of what was going on in my world. She was not able to find an effective way to let me see what was happening in her life because of it. Loneliness and pain on her part is the least of it, I am sure.

Since I truly love my wife, I do care about her. Even if (or when, as she likes to say) we get divorced I will care and love her. So, yes, it is important that I work on myself but also allow her her space. I will set boundaries as to what I will allow in our interactions, but if our marriage is to work and hopefully to thrive I have to continue to care.

I don't pretend that any of this is easy to go through, let alone get any understanding or wisdom out of it at present.