First of all, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone that has taken the time to comment and email us over the past many weeks, offering your sympathies for the passing of my Mom and to share your thoughts to Jen and I as we endured a very volatile period in our relationship during the past month or so. As you might expect, it has been a very difficult time for me and only now have I been able to pick myself up and address some of the points made by our loyal following during our breakup.
So yesterday's
Recharging the Batteries post by Jen triggered a comment from Florida Dom, and I felt compelled to respond. FD: Your comment is a fair one and believe me when I tell you that thoughts of how fair I'm being with Jen, the Wife and the kids are all-consuming. Not to mention being fair to myself. I think about this almost non-stop.
But one point I feel obliged to counter -- a point made by almost everyone who has provided insight into my situation -- is that my kids are unhappy. They simply are not. And yes, I know the response will be that I'm just being blind to their unhappiness, but if there's one thing I DO know through all this is that my kids are some of the most balanced, well-adjusted kids I've ever known. Yes, my oldest is a teenager and has those issues to deal with, but there's no denying he's happy and content with his life. With my girls, it's unquestionable. Like I've told Jen so many times, I wish everyone could view a Web-cam into my world, and I think it wouldn't be long before you agree.
And that's what makes this all so difficult. If there was any hint whatsoever that any one of them was unhappy with their situation at home, I would make the break in a heartbeat. In fact, I would have done this months ago, probably before Jen and I even met. But at this particular moment - August 4, 2010 - my kids are the happiest kids in the world, and a sure-fire way of screwing that up would be for me to throw THIS hand-grenade in the room.
So please understand -- I know on the surface it appears that I'm being unfair to everyone, but its just not as simple as that. I never planned on getting myself into this situation, nor did Jen. It just ........ happened. And now we're both trying to work through it because the only thing we DO know is how much we love each other .. And in the end, that's what makes all the angst, all the heartache, and all the complications worth fighting for. I guarantee everyone -- this WILL work out - I've never been more confident of anything in my life.