I hear you, woe.be.gone. I am sorry you were damaged by infidelity. I am close with a fair few women who have also been. I agree that forgiveness can be a real spiritual challenge
Thank you. That's why I know these types of situations can cut so deeply within people - it happens to men too I'm sure. Even though Sandra is 45 years old the betrayal hurts and cannot be brushed off easily. In my case, I was engaged to be married, young and embarking on my adult life - suddenly, all dashed. Makes one leary. One can think, but how lucky to find out prior to marriage but IT CHANGED ME FROM A TRUSTING, JOYFUL SOUL to someone who began to turn alot of remorse inward and questioned myself as how I could have been so stupid, yada yada, how I missed the signs (mind you, the Universe had sent me a warning at the four month mark but he convinced me the Universe was wrong which may have added to my self blame days - why was I so stupid, humiliated, etc.). Imagine Sandra, older, thinking she finely found 'the one' - that would be crushing too.
What's weird is that, in my case, having crossed over into true middle age now, all of the issues that I thought I had put to rest seem to be cropping up again as I experience them through what happens to others. It's like I feel the feelings all over again. I guess because I'm not constantly busy and am in my own head alot. But once you've experienced something, you cannot help but to relate and empathize with the person going through a similar realtime experience.
What dawns on me too - about forgiveness - God requires that people ask Him for it too (that is if one believes in God). He doesn't offer forgiveness until we ask for it. I understand the concept of how not forgiving hurts the one who harbors hurt but, yes, it is hard to forgive people WHO DELIBERATELY GO ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS KNOWING THEY ARE HURTING OTHERS BUT DON'T GIVE TWO HOOTS 'CEPT FOR WHEN THEY GET CAUGHT. That said, we all are capable of hurting others but we aren't always aware that that's what we're doing.
(I'm having a little therapy here - thanks for listening.)