Hallmark Movies, Marriage, and Church

My husband, Michael, and I sat across from our counselor at an 11:00 am appointment on a seemingly perfect Thursday.

Our lives didn’t look much like a Hallmark movie. There we were on an older, faded couch sitting almost where the two cushions came together. His hand rested on my knee, directly over the hole of my jeans. A year of disappointment - make that two years of disappointment - brought us to this place. It wasn't an affair, pornography or sneaking around - although I understand all of those - it was the loss of expectation. What dangerous waters "failed expectations" are because many people stuff these feelings down. Affairs exasperate things, so can pornography; these seem like obvious reasons to make space for help. But disappointment? This lurks in tide pools, never making big waves, but slowly it can drown a human because no one was made to tread water their whole life.