He Left Me

A friend of mine asked me to meet her for lunch today and the first words out of her mouth were, "He left me last night."

This was particularly surprising as she and her husband were preparing to re-take their vows after seven years of marriage. I met with her earlier this week when she dropped off her wedding dress to be re-sized and ordered the invitations.

While having lunch that day, she told me of an acquaintance of ours whose husband had just walked out the day before. They'd been married for eleven years and have a beautiful six year old daughter. He met up with an old high-school flame and had been having an affair for three months. It's over. Goodbye.

While discussing our shock over that break up, I told my friend, Jennifer, that I didn't have to worry about that with Steve. I might have to worry about lots of other things, but not him cheating on me -- it's just not in his nature.

Of coarse, Jennifer immediately responds that she doesn't have to worry about her hubby either. And even as this sexy young woman tells me about how faithful her husband is, a part of me is going "yeah, right." I am so cynical!

Two days later, twenty-six year old Jennifer is crying on my shoulder after her forty year old husband left her with two children under the age of five to raise alone. No old school sweetheart for him, a stripper he met where he's been eating lunch.

On the way home, I realized this is the fourth marriage that I've seen broken up in the last year. And they all have amazing things in common.

1. All are marriages of between 7-11 years.


2. All have at least one small child, most two.


3. All the wives are mainly stay-at-home moms.


4. All the wives are pretty, have nice bodies, are nice natured, and good moms.


5. All are first marriages.

This is some scary shit. If beings sexy, having a great body, being loyal, good natured, and sacrificing by staying home for your children doesn't make you a woman worth hanging onto . . . what does?

All of these women were left for women that are more "fun" -- like to drink, dance, party. Women that have some sort of job and don't need a man to support them.

All things the wives were before children came along.

My first thought is, good riddance to bad rubbage! They don't deserve the women they had.

But my heart hurts for the women for I know EXACTLY where they will be left . . .

Working any job they can take

Putting their kids in day care

Going home exhausted and having to be both parents

Getting a room mate so they can afford a house

Moving in with relatives

No free time

No time to date

No extra money

Having to explain to their kids

Smiling and being polite with each 'new' girlfriend Dad brings around

And dad? Oh, he has to pay child support.