This morning I awoke from an unusual dream for me. In my dream, I saw my ex and her family. This triggered panic in my heart–i.e. my fight or flight response.
Now, I haven’t seen these people for over a decade. Yet the mere invoking of their image in a dream STILL has the power to incite an involuntary bodily response of anxiety in me.
My point is cheating and the abuse around it have LASTING impact for faithful spouses.
I am fine now. It was an involuntary response, of course. Yet my body still registers the threat to it from over a decade ago. It’s not a rational thing but a felt thing.
Today, I am SO glad that season is over for me. Yet I want to encourage those who still struggle to be kind to yourself. I have a wonderful life today and still occasionally have these moments, obviously. Thankfully, they become and are fewer, fewer over time.
