Agony + Ecstasy

I've recently learned that my biggest mistake is that bad habit of not believing someone when they tell me their truth at the beginning of a relationship. Thinking ‘that isn't right’ or ‘I'm sure I can help’ or ‘together we can make it right’ or some such conceit. So: if I had listened to my first husband when he told me his goal was to go mad, then when he threatened suicide: if I'd paid attention and said to myself: do I really really want to have children with this man, given what his goals are? I would have said no, and moved on to have my children with someone healthier and happier. Instead I loved his neediness, his brilliance and creativity and thought I could change his goals. I thought I wouldn't believe him because he might think those things but - surely with me as his wife, that wouldn't necessarily happen, right? Wrong. and it took me a long time to realise that I could do nothing to help this man. Love didn't heal his hurts, intelligenc...