Can I add something about our different childhoods? I think it's definitely caused a big rift in what we each think long-term relationships should be like. My parents have been married 50 years, my sisters for 25 and 26 respectively. I've seen long-term relationships up close and personal. My husband's mother has three kids from three different fathers born in three different decades. She didn't have long-standing relationships with any of them; in fact, my husband has not ever met his father and has one email exchange in his whole life. I'm not making a moral judgment on my MIL, but I don't think he's really seen the roller-coaster ride that long-term relationships sometimes are. I once asked him if he expected the head-over-heels-in-new-love forever and he said, "Of course. Yes."
Me: 42/H: 37 T: 10 years/M: 8 D9, S8 Bomb: 7.23.07 Separated: 1.20.08 D Final 3.19.09 Affair started in '05, found out parts in 11/07. They married 11.26.09