General Discussion » It's xmas day in New Zealand » Yesterday 10:46 am |
Merry Xmas, Elle. I'm on my own today, too. I might just go out and hop on a bus downtown, just to get out and see the city (we had snow yesterday, so NYC is actually having a white Xmas for a change).
General Discussion » When will I feel better ? » Yesterday 10:42 am |
"These guys will play the "shame" card, and blame "society" for their shame, and expect us to toe the line where they draw it about "telling," but the shame they ought to feel, but don't, is about what they are willing to do to us and to ask us to do. "
I wanted to respond to this. It's entirely his concern if he prefers to stay in the closet, right on up to the moment when he attempts to shift blame to me.
I would make that extremely clear to him. You initiated this divorce because of his behavior, and as long as his public commentary is consistent with that reality, there's no need to out him. The moment he tries to shift blame to you, you have every right to correct the record.
I think the rules around not "outing" people shouldn't require us to be complicit in our own victimization.
Support » Just need encouragement » September 27, 2024 12:56 pm |
Definitely snoop. And don't feel guilty about it, either.
Also: work out a plan to get you out of daily contact with him. One of you has to leave the house. As long as you're living together, he's going to be trying to influence your actions.
Support » Want to tell my son. Need advice » September 27, 2024 12:52 pm |
I told my daughter after D-day but before I'd made any decisions about whether or not to leave the marriage. I felt like there was just too much lying in the family, that it had affected everyone -- including her -- and that I'd gotten to the point where I was speculating like crazy about whether she'd already guessed. So I had to put my foot down and say "no more secrets in this family."
I'm so sorry your divorce decree prohibited you from being honest within the family. In addition to being the ex-wife of a gay man, I'm also a lawyer and the more I see of these nondisparagement clauses, the more I'm convinced they're a disasterous idea that somehow became normalized a long time ago -- and nobody has ever revisited the idea of whether they're really doing far more harm than good.
I agree that you should tell your son, but do so in a way that he won't defensively take his father's side. You might say something to the effect of how you had learned of his father's sexuality and you realized that this situation was untenable -- not only for you, but for your husband as well. You can tell your son the divorce decree has barred you from discussing this with him until he turned 18, but at this point there is nothing healthy about a family in which secrecy and lying is the norm.
Support » Exhaustion » September 6, 2024 7:45 am |
I'm still struggling with it.
Support » Exhaustion » September 3, 2024 3:51 pm |
HeldHostage: I have psoriasis, too. I can't tell you how many doctors have told me I need to "avoid stress". I mean ... how exactly does that work?
Support » Feeling 😞 » August 27, 2024 11:53 am |
Really. Now I celebrate the anniversary our divorce was final.
Support » Feeling 😞 » August 26, 2024 10:44 am |
Just reading along, I realized my anniversary is tomorrow.
Support » Protecting the kids » August 21, 2024 8:30 am |
Sonnet61, you raise so many questions -- and the question about how to talk to kids is a really tough one. In your situation, the age spread is pretty significant, too, so what's appropriate for one child's developmental stage might not work for another child.
My experience tells me that this isn't going to work if you release tidbits of information, or try to do it in baby steps. Your kids will be talking amongst themselves, for one thing. There's another trap you should avoid: giving them this huge shocking new truth but telling them they have to keep it a secret from their own friends and support networks. It inherently manipulates them into isolation; it creates a barrier that leaves them unable to process or grieve.
You are hereby officially designated The Adult In The Room. Your husband needs to know that you are planning to cease keeping his identity secret from the children and the public, for the sake of the children. If someone is single and wants to keep their gay identity a secret, it's their own choice -- but once you have a wife and FIVE kids, it's not "your" secret -- it's the family's own narrative, too, and you have no right to impose secrecy on the kids or your wife just because you're embarrassed to be gay.
So if he needs to tell anyone privately in advance (his parents, siblings, etc.) now is the time to do it. Don't give him an out, give him a deadline.
General Discussion » Five year follow up » July 12, 2024 3:29 pm |
Wow, that's a lot .... how long have you been post-divorce? I'm still dealing with the suicidal thoughts, though I know enough not to act on them. Still, the depression is hard to escape.