One Year After... (A must read)

One Year After This Husband Left His Wife For A Younger Woman, He Realized The Sobering Truth

By Caren Gibson

When an anonymous husband divorced from his wife, he traded her in for a younger, prettier version. He was, apparently, happy with this choice, content with giving up the mother of his children for someone who took more pride in her appearance. But then he saw his ex-wife on the street a year after their separation. It was only then that he realized what a terrible mistake he’d made.

The media often waves around the statistic that half of all marriages end in divorce. And while that figure’s not strictly untrue, it doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story. In fact, some believe that the divorce rate in the U.S. has actually fallen consistently for several years.

Whatever the truth, there are many reasons cited for those who do opt for divorce. Among the top ten factors for calling time on a marriage are finances, loss of identity and growing apart. For some, however, the reasons can be somewhat superficial.

Recently, a video has emerged of a man apparently stating why he left his wife. The confession, posted on the Hefty.co Facebook page, has received more than 37 million views since it was uploaded on April 18, 2017, and it contains a valuable lesson for everyone who has seen it.

In the video, the anonymous man begins, “A year ago I separated from my wife.” So far, his revelation is not that shocking;  after all, it’s still believed that a third of marriages may end in divorce. What follows, however, is a little more startling.

The nameless and faceless man proceeds to cite the reason for his failed marriage. He admits, “I left her for a younger, more attractive woman.” A rather shallow admission, indeed. He then goes on to describe how his wife had allegedly let herself go.

“My ex was flabby, unkempt, didn’t shave, and had droopy breasts,” he described, before adding, “I no longer found her attractive.” He clearly wasn’t pulling any punches. But while experts say that physical attraction isn’t the sole basis of a strong, lasting relationship, it is nonetheless still an important factor.

The man longed for the beautiful woman his wife had once been. Alas, he said, “Her now-faded beauty was only a memory.” It seemed this man had little hope of rekindling the passion in his failing marriage, and so he did what he thought was best for both of them and divorced her.

But the story takes a sudden and unexpected twist, not least for the now ex-husband. The man’s tale would continue 12 months down the line when he saw his ex-wife in the street. The video’s narrator goes on to say, “Today, exactly a year after I left her, I saw her again.”

What he had seen, however, was a different woman to the wife he divorced. He said, “She was glowing and had lost weight. She was once again beautiful. She no longer showed her wear-and-tear of the years.”

The woman he had seen in the street got him reflecting on the woman he had given up. He said, “Now I sit here and think about her extra pounds.” Was there any truth in the idea that more weight means there’s more to love? Then, a light bulb lit for the mystery man.

Reflecting on his new-found realization, he said, “She got cellulite because she no longer had time to go to the gym. She had to take care of the kids at home.” As if the penny had finally dropped, he realized his wife had, in fact, been putting her kids before herself.

Speaking of his epiphany, the man continued, “She didn’t have time to dress nicely. The little time that she did have, she gave to me and forgot to take care of herself.” The recognition of why his wife’s beauty had faded was finally understood.

Whereas, once upon a time, earlier in their relationship, his wife had time to make herself look good for her man, she now had a family to care for. In acknowledgement the man said, “Instead she changed diapers and breastfed until her breasts sagged, and she was proud of that.”

“And after all of the exertion from cooking, ironing and cleaning,” he continued, “she seemed to be happy with her family.” For the wife, sacrificing her own needs wasn’t even an issue. Taking care of her family was what happiness meant to her.

But then came the bombshell. Suddenly aware of what he had given up, the man said, “Now I know what it’s like to have a real woman at home.” It was, however, too late. He had made his choice to trade, and now his wife had moved on with her life.

Yes, there was now no way back. He had given up his wife and family for all the wrong reasons. And, although he now realized the error of his ways, he wasn’t in a position to do anything about it. All he could do was admit, “I was foolish to trade true beauty for the superficial.”

“I have lost this woman forever because I was unable to recognize and treasure the true worth of a dedicated housewife and mother. Now, someone else will do that.” And while it’s too late for this anonymous man, there’s clearly a lesson to be learned from his story.

Being a mom is the toughest job in the world. It’s 24/7, there are no days off and no sick leave. It requires a lot of stamina, hard work and dedication, with little, if any, time for oneself. The reward of taking care of the family is the payoff for all of them.

This man didn’t realize his wife’s worth as a mother, as a partner, as a best friend and as a soulmate until it was too late. Indeed, real beauty comes from within. What he saw on the outside as a woman who had let herself go was actually a woman who was putting her kids and her husband’s needs before her own. So, let’s hope that others learn from his message before they too make a similar mistake.