my mom almost left my dad for another man when my brother and I were around 8 and 9... my older brother (same dad, different mom) was causing a lot of trouble and was 18 at the time. from what I know, dad was ultimatumed into either kicking older brother out and saving his marriage and raising us all together,without older brother (there's another older brother who had the same rep and just bounced leaving said older brother alone to deal with this) OR not doing anything and my mom leaving him for another man with us young kids

I don't know the whole story, I know my brothers side and my dads told me a little now that I'm older (still have never told the brother who would have been taken from dad with me, he doesn't need to know) BUT it built up a lot of resentment inside of me towards my mom.... she was young so she thought she was doing the "right thing" but my dad is the best man a woman could ask for, he has been a better dad to MANY of my friends than their own. I'm so grateful for him and it burns a fire deep inside of me that my mom could ever under any circumstance think another man would be a better husband, dad, or caregiver to her or her children than my daddy has been... long story short my older brother was kicked out (in fairness he WAS a trouble maker and my mom just didn't want him around us kids at the time to be a bad influence.... he grew up so much, met the MOST wonderful girl and they've been together for 12 years, we're all a happy family now and he's my most favorite brother, out of 3, who is my heart and soul)

I think my mom could have handled it better, I think my dad did what he's always done which is protect us......... but I'll never ever ever ever tell my mom I know what she did. my dad doesn't know if she actually cheated or not, but I can only assume..... I know the other man was a scout leader in my brothers Boy Scout troop, but my dad won't tell me who because he knows (20 years later) I would still set fire to that motherfuckers home. how dare you try to break up my family.

long story short, mom and dad are in very much love, 30 years in March! hurts my heart that I know this information but I won't tell my brother who doesn't know... also should be said that my mom has always and will always be someone I emulate; she's highly educated and a glass ceiling shatterer. as a female, I never once had an insecurity growing up because my mom (and daddy!) always told me how beautiful I was and smart, encouraged me to be the best I could be, helped me when I needed it, let me fly when I wanted to..

I've just decided that my parents are humans.. I can't judge them for their past, but I can be grateful that even when all of this bullshit was going on, they were so good at not fighting or talking about it in front of me, that I was clueless until my early 20s. love you mom and dad!