Los Angeles Times

Husband not in it for love

- Send questions to Amy Dickinson by email to ask amy@amydickins­on.com.

Dear Amy: I’ve been married for 30 years. Most of this time, I’ve been unhappy. I’ve experience­d love in the past. Before my marriage I had my heart broken twice.

I just could not allow myself to go through that pain again. Therefore, I married a woman who was a good person, knowing that if she ever left, my heart would not be broken.

This has caused me to have a number of affairs. I’m not proud of that. When I was single, I never cheated on any of my girlfriend­s, but I began cheating on my wife after two years of marriage.

The biggest reason I never left my wife was that I could not bear the thought of not seeing my young kids daily (who are now adults), and also the financial struggles divorce would bring.

I now struggle with a different heartache and ask myself — is this the way I want to spend my remaining years?

Unhappy Husband

Dear Unhappy: It is hard to feel sorry for you, the heart-sore man who deliberate­ly chose to marry a very nice woman you’ve never loved, because you were so afraid of being hurt.

And yet, I do feel compassion for you. I can imagine that at this point in your life, you might look back and recognize how very cowardly some of your choices have been.

I think, too, of your wife. You don’t have much to say about her, which reveals how sidelined she is. You are sidelined too. You seem to have lost track of your emotional core.

Your early heartbreak may have traumatize­d you and stunted your emotional maturing. It’s as if you closed and locked a door.

I assume that as much as you obviously love your children, you also remain somewhat hidden from them. I hope that over the years you have encouraged them to be more emotionall­y present and brave than you have been.

No, I don’t think this is the way you want to spend your remaining years.

You would definitely benefit from therapy. Unlocking that long-locked door will bring you in closer touch with the authentic man who has been hiding behind his heartache and using infidelity as a remedy and excuse.

Dear Amy: As I think about the new year unfolding, my thoughts of a past friendship arise. I am not sure what I did, or what I said, but back in 2016 a dear friend stopped talking to me.

I tried on several occasions to reconnect, and included apologies, as I was certain that I must have done something to warrant this unexpected rejection. We became friends back in 1997, but here I am five years after our last contact and still on the outs with this friend.

My thinking is that maybe I should write a letter (not email or phone call). I am not even sure how to start the letter, and I’m afraid of rejection again. Still Hoping in Friendship

Dear Still Hoping: The worst thing about being ghosted is that you are left assuming that you have said or done something offensive.

But maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s your friend. People who are depressed, overwhelme­d or who feel ashamed sometimes pull away suddenly. Send your friend an email or letter. Don’t dwell on this silence. Say, “I think of you often and would love to hear how you are doing. I hope you’ll be in touch.”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States