Recently
Who Needs a Degree When You've Got Love?
We recently heard from Not My Son-In-Law. She was the mother who was upset because her 32-year-old daughter was about to make "a terrible mistake."
The very successful, never-married daughter was dating a 45-year-old widower who had a …Read more.
Are Families Really Like Kleenex?
Are families disposable like diapers, paper plates and razors? Can you really substitute one for another and just go on with your life?
Diane was married for 30 years to Bill, a fireman. They had three children together.
She received a phone call at …Read more.
The Cougar and I
I've been having a bit of a dialogue with If The Cougar Fits. She's the 44-year-old who's divorcing her "immature" husband. Her oldest child is 17. She's been hanging out with 20-something guys who'd like to be more than friends and she's …Read more.
A Mixed Bag
Today's column is about why some men cheat, a man who never will, and the S word.
PAUL: Sometimes men cheat because they can't deal with one of the side effects of getting older. As a man approaches his later years, he may experience loss of sexual …Read more.
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When You Knew It Was OverThis is how it is. You're in a relationship. It's not great. In fact, it's lousy, but you put up with it. Maybe you think it will get better, maybe the thought of change is even worse than the status quo or maybe you're waiting for the right time to get out. And then, something happens, it may be something big, it may be something small, but all of a sudden you say, "Enough is enough." Here's the moment when these readers knew they'd had it. BILL: I knew it was over when she cheated on me with one of her co-workers while I sat at her parents' house waiting for her to come home from her office Christmas party. It was actually over long before; it just took me 20 years to realize it. GERRIE: I knew it was over when he slammed his fist in my face and broke my nose. The verbal abuse started as soon as we got married. Then after three months, mere verbal abuse no longer satisfied him. He began physically abusing me. With each new insult he hurled at me, I became more and more convinced that I was worthless as a wife and a human being. Every time I said something he disagreed with — even something minor about the weather — he'd slap my face. I never fought back. I was terrified of him. All I could do was cry. Finally, when I was pregnant with our third child, he graduated from slapping my face to punching my face. Meanwhile, we lived on the second floor.
But once, after supper, he fell asleep on the couch instead of putting the buggy away. I was sick with worry that the buggy would be stolen. I waited hours for him to wake up, beside myself with anxiety. Finally, at 10 o'clock, I couldn't wait any longer. The buggy was vital to my children's existence. So I tapped him on the shoulder. He awoke and sprang up from the couch in a towering rage and slammed his fist into my face. The blood flowed copiously. He'd broken my nose. That was the last straw. I was determined that my fourth and final divorce attempt would stick, and it did. This time, I refused to drop the suit and take him back. Within days after the birth of my third child, my husband was out of the house under a police escort, and my lawyer saw to it that he never entered it again. JENNA: I knew it was over when I greeted him at the airport (That's right — I actually parked my car and went as far as security would let me.) with a big hug and an attempt at a kiss, but he shrugged me off and went on talking to the stranger he had met on the plane. And no, he did not introduce me. Has your tale been in the column? Send an update, along with your questions, problems and rants to cheryllavinrapp@gmail.com. To find out more about Cheryl Lavin, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM
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