I said it before in another thread, I say it again now:
FORGIVING is over-rated.
Forgiving, to be truly sincere -- IMO, is a process, not a knee-jerk act nor single-minded 1 decision.
Forgiving is a very personal process -- you do it when you alone want to, and you take as long a time you need/want. It is surely different for us all.
Forgiving, IMO, is 1-sided. O sige, it may do the forgiver's heart to be so magnanimous & Christ-like. But it may be not as makabagbag-loob/heart-rending to the forgiven. Kaya ayun: "Sorry" ( tapos back to fcking around like dogs).
Now, when sh1t hits the fan -- IMO, the grace to pray for is ACCEPTANCE.
Acceptance that there is nothing that can change/re-write History.
Acceptance that sh1t happens even to The Undeserving.
Acceptance that people change through time, for better or worse, as they CHOOSE to change.
Acceptance that whatever you 2 had going on before, is already in the Irretrievable Past.
Acceptance that after everything that has transpired, you are each different people now.
Acceptance of The Truth of what EACH 1 has become and What Makes EACH 1 Happy -- will set you both free (wherever the chips may fall).
Acceptance of one's OWN shortcomings/faults & choices.
Now, mind you, Acceptance only for your OWN deeds. Hwag akuhin ang hindi sa yo. Do NOT ACCEPT NOR SHARE blame for the other's wrongdoing. You may have contributed to the lapse of bad judgment, but it was him who psychologically abandoned your marriage. It was him who brought crap into your marriage by fcking around or hooking up with a kab1tch. . It was him who, thinking he could be happier with his lying & fcking around, dragged you to unhappiness. It was HIS CHOICE. You chose not to fck around, though you may have been more unhappy than him.
If there is NO Acceptance of the individual responsibility & choice to do damage to the marriage/relationship -- History will replay. Until The Lesson is learned, History repeats itself. That goes for BOTH of you, the betrayer and the betrayed -- EACH of you must learn The Lesson.
After Acceptance of each your own -- then, you can move in an orderly manner towards whatever: Forgiveness, or not; Staying to re-try, or Moving On; whatever. What is important is, no more lies at that point. No more deceptions. Ano ba gusto mo?! Eto gusto ko! Deal or No Deal?! A Marriage after all, is a Contract to make each other happy (with appropriate Exit/Termination provisions) & not a Life Sentence ("to be served" sabi sa A Secret Affair).