This time of year questions arise in some families about whether or not Santa Clause is for real. Given the news climate with all the stories about fake news, its’ no wonder.
It leaves you as a reader questioning not only whether Santa is real, you wonder what other stories are real as well.
I came face to face with this reality yesterday. One of your fellow readers wanted to know if I was for real. I assure you that as I type this out from the Texas hill country that I am ‘real’.
That means that I face daily problems, struggles and questions much like you do. If you haven’t read the about me section of the SurviveYourPartnersAffair.com blog, I’ll give you a brief review.
In the mornings, I walk our two dogs, “Ike” and “Chuck”. Chuck, who you may recall from the skunk story is quite a character. He makes a point of suddenly blasting off in pursuit of cats, other dogs and deer that don’t move fast enough.
This often catches me off guard, since you never know what you’ll encounter in the hill country. Those sudden surprises that catch me off guard in some ways is a good metaphor for life and the sudden changes it brings.
I am also happily married and have three sons. This is the first and only marriage for both my wife Peggy and I (and yes, her name really is ‘Peggy Sue’, which has another story behind it).
Since we are real people, we have experienced the pressures, challenges and temptations of other couples who have been together 31 years. We’ve seen some of our childhood friends and family members die, have affairs, commit suicide, perpetrate arson, divorce, remarry, kill their spouse and star in adult films (though not in that order).
These experiences have taken us through a wide array of situations along with leading to serious thought provoking conversations over our morning coffee.
My wife and I have managed staying together through all these experiences along with the drama, secret keeping and intrigue those situations brought. One of our early pastors, Louis Kole once said that “You’re either going into a crisis, in the middle of one or coming out of one.” I have found his saying true many more times than I’d like.
So yes, I am a real person. Don’t let the fake news fool you. These emails are not mass produced in some sweat house operation in the Philippines or some big no-name corporation. Since I am for real, so is my concern for you, my desire to help your marriage and my willingness to hear your questions.
My e-book “Why Wasn’t I Enough?” addresses the most frequently asked questions people have asked about affairs. You’ve likely had some of those questions as you have experienced the pressures, challenges and temptations that come with married life.
It is my hopes that you find hope this Christmas Season.
Best Regards,
Jeff
