Mary Ellen Goggin
It’s unbearable, really, the shock and devastation of infidelity in your marriage. In a moment of discovery or disclosure, all the life in your body can drain away to nothingness. And only anger, hurt, confusion, and a cauldron of negativity can fill the vacuum left behind. It could be either one of you, and the…
Read MoreAnd the two shall become one. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Put others’ needs before your own. And so the song of self-surrender is sung…while the task of maintaining self-esteem in relationships is left to the self-help DIYers. The irony of relationships, and especially marriage, is that they are so…
Read MoreMention the word “infidelity,” and thoughts immediately go to the bedroom and clandestine sexual rendezvous. But there are other forms of betrayal that can be just as difficult to repair. Money, for example, represents far more than a means to an end in a marriage. And surviving financial infidelity can be just as difficult as…
Read MoreWhen marriage takes a turn in the wrong direction, righting it is often beyond a couple’s forte. If you’re the one recognizing the slippery slope, you may already know that correcting it is going to require outside help. But knowing how to talk with your spouse about marriage counseling is going to be your first…
Read MoreWhen marriage hits a dry spell, you may both feel what you can’t necessarily define, let alone explain. If you’re a husband, would you recognize the signs a woman is unhappy in her marriage? And, if you’re a wife, would you even recognize the signs in yourself? Inevitably, the unhappiness of one partner will affect…
Read MoreThe frequency of infidelity in marriage does nothing to assuage the shock and loneliness in its wake. Regardless of which side of an affair you occupy, you are likely to feel alone in it. And seeking help surviving infidelity may not even register with a starting point. Cheating has similarities across the board — signs…
Read MoreNo one likes to be nagged. Anyone who’s been on the receiving end of nagging power will probably tell you that without nagging the world would be a better place. And so would their lives. Yet, despite its bad reputation, nagging works; it often gets things done, can uncover an unhelpful relationship dynamic or an…
Read MoreLove doesn’t guarantee happiness. And an unhappy marriage doesn’t necessarily equate to an absence of love. (Strange the way reality can annihilate a good fairytale.) Contrary as it may seem, it is possible to have an unhappy marriage but still love your spouse. The question, of course, is what to do when love and marital…
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