OP again. I posted this earlier in the thread: My best friend's husband cheated on her and I personally witnessed the heartache and devastation that it brought to - not just her - but their whole family. I'm very fortunate to be married to a very good man whom I trust and who trusts me. We're not perfect but we do trust each other. |
After one month of dating? Really? |
OP, your sister sounds young, immature, naive, foolish, gullible, etc... Many of us were that once and grew up. Some of us are always that foolish.
There's not much you can do to change your sister. You can, however, totally alienate her, invest waaay too much of your own energy into this mess, lose your perspective and jeapordize your own calm, etc... I think you are way too involved, too harsh in your judgments, and very unforgiving. It sounds like you have long standing resentment or judgment of your sister. I think you should figuratively walk away. It's her life - let her live it. You don't have to condone her actions, but you also don't have to condemn her. You might want a relationship with her in 10 or 20 years, or your kids might want a relationship someday. I also think you might benefit from talking this through w/ an impartial third party - like a counselor. Someone who can help you separate some of the emotion and personal reactions from a plan for actually managing to watch this go on in your family. Good luck. |
Ha. O.k. so Op's sister decides to invest her energy into breaking up the marriage of a young couple with a small child...Op is horrified that her sister would ever stoop so low. And *OP* is the one who should be in counseling?
No. Op is right. Her sister's behavior is very disappointing. |
Thank you! I was about to post the same thing. Age isn't making her behave like this. This may be harsh but I would refuse to be a part of it meaning no conversations about him , he's not welcome at your home or events you host. |
A college professor once told her that young women are flattered when older men show interest and think it's because they are so mature. She warned that it's usually that the man is immature. Maybe by framing it to her perspective rather than yours, she'll see him for the loser he is. Of course he's putting forth his best for her, but it's not who he is. He's a jerk who will abandon a commitment. She'll see his warts down the road. THIS is what you want to spare her. If he were really the man he professes to be, he would already have been done with his wife and would have cleared the way for a new relationship. It's NOT his circumstance, it's his character. You're on her side in this, OP. Hopefully she'll see that. |
Oops! A college professor once told ME... |
Op's sister is accountable for her own actions. We don't know how much older this guy is. Maybe she's 23 and he's 25. Would it be o.k. for Op's sister to be involved in actively breaking up the marriage of this young married father? No.
Same holds true if this guy is 35 or 45. |
+1. OP, simmer down. |
I understand that you don't like her behavior but you are projecting too much. This isn't happening to you. |
When someone you love is doing something stupid, you should not just look at your feet and pretend that all is well. When you love someone, when you care about their well being you do your best to talk some sense into them.
Their new married boyfriend may not know what a wonderful person sis is but YOU do. |
Do you understand what "projecting" means? |
She projected herself into the position of the wife, and is as angry with her sister as if this was happening to her. It's not healthy, she needs to let the sister learn from this. |
Or rather, OP is freaked out about the same happening to her ![]() |
It is doubtful that Op ever thought that a single woman cheating with a married man with small children was ever o.k. She isn't so much as projecting as saying "Wow. Even if the wife and kids seemed abstract to sis you would think that she wouldn't do something like this because she has seen me with my husband and kids." If Op's sister was going around kicking puppies, Op would be horrified *especially* since she and sis grew up around dogs - you would think she would care about them more. |