I must have a magnet for long-term married couples telling me their marital woes.
Just last night I was talking to a married couple of 55 years. She told me "he never wants to do anything so I just leave him to it". She wants to travel and spend 5 months a year in Australia looking after her grandchildren. Later that evening, her husband told me all he wanted to do was sell their house and live on a canal boat and spend 8 months a year traveling the canals in the UK.
So many more similar examples.... My ex FIL told me he'd wasted his life being married to MIL but that it was 'too late' to make a new life. He's dead now and he died deeply unhappy, spending his last years working on his hobbies in a cold shed in the garden, just to get some peace.
My parents have been married almost 55 years and they are both so unhappy. My Dad (80s) would leave tomorrow but my mum is bossy and has scared him out of the idea with tales of financial woe.
We often think of wasted lives in our 30's, 40's and 50's but my experience is that quite a few of these very long marriages lead to a lot of unhappiness. I guess what irritates you about your partner in your 50's is only going to be exacerbated 30 years later......
I wish I could help my parents. We've urged my Dad to leave to have a happy end to his life but he's too ..... and i guess the sad word is...... resigned. Resigned to his life. It's sad.
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Relationships
Unhappiness in long-term marriages - 40 years +
5 replies
Vagabond · 03/09/2016 15:17
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