How My Husband's Affair Changed My Life ... For The Best

How would I survive this? I was grief stricken. On the nights I snuggled with my two babies on my queen-sized marriage bed, I felt so alone.

It was a process, and not a short one, but day by day, one moment at a time, I learned to love myself again. I accepted that his betrayal was not about me; it was about him.

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It wasn't the fact that his "soulmate" returned to her husband just days before my ex and she were to elope, and it wasn't even the fact that men found me attractive, and I had opportunities for love again. It was that I learned to love myself and to accept that the challenges I was facing would help me to grow, to learn, and to hope again. And, they did.

Four years later, I married the man of my dreams. This somewhat conservative, yet open-minded and accepting guy loved me for who I was and opened his heart to my children.  We took it slowly, in order to ensure that it was a good move for our kids before blending our two families. He had sadly lost his young wife to breast cancer after having a little boy together at nearly the same time my marriage suddenly ended. 

We didn't know one another then, but we later learned we had lived parallel lives. Now, we've been together for 11 years and we are going strong.  No red flags, no doubts and no fears … only love, faith and moderate politics. Bliss! 5 Ways To Be Happy About Your Love Life Right Now!

Well, not really. Life hasn't been a fairy tale since we married; we've had our ups and downs, deaths and losses, hardships and challenges. Who wouldn't with three teens at home, a beautifully complicated blended/extended family, and many aging grandparents?  Yet, my ex has been a devoted dad and co-parent, and we have learned to forgive each other and ourselves over time.

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Despite the rollercoaster ride, I have learned from my sadness and grown through my tears. I am thankful for every moment and I'm blessed to know true love; for my husband and for myself. My dream is to help women like me, who have loved and lost, to rebuild their hearts and find hope and happiness again. And they will. 4 Ways To Cheat-Proof Your Marriage