Thanks for weighing in. You know I hold your opinion/insight in very high esteem.
Quote: Could SO be going through a phase where the call to nurture is strong?
I'm not clear on what you're referencing here. Do you mean toward OW2 or toward me?
I think dating her during the S, to some degree, boiled down to guilt/obligation/convenience. She was, after all, a known factor, very convenient, saying everything he wanted to hear. She's the one he had a PA with when we were together.
I find myself feeling impatient with myself. I want to get this processing over with so I can move on. It's hard to manage "moving forward" with SO while I have this little, black cloud over my head to deal with. To some degree, albeit lesser than a couple of weeks ago, I'm still dealing with a sense of shock and disbelief. It is still difficult for me to reconcile the SO I know with the SO who was unfaithful.
Initially I questioned whether this is something I could live with. Very idealistic of me. The pragmatist in me says, "Hey, lots of people are dealing with this very issue. They've used it to their advantage and have come out stronger in the long-run." I want to choose the later. I choose the latter. It's just walking through the burning coals to get there that's challenging me at this very moment.
