Society has taught us that a healthy and happy marriage is when two people are in a monogamous relationship with one another. However, everyone doesn't believe monogamy is "natural," as is the case with the wife of this man in this Strawberry Letter.
Take a look:
Subject: I Don’t Want To Share My Cookie
Dear Steve and Shirley,
I have been married to my wife for 15 years and we have two beautiful kids. We grew up in the church and we abstained from sex before we got married. We don’t use drugs or drink alcohol and we are active in our church. But lately, my wife is showing me a side of her that I’ve never seen. She’s revealing who she really is and I’m starting to wonder who I married. She had a health scare recently and she said it really shook her up and made her reflect on how she wanted to live the rest of her life. She told me that she would like for us to have a more open relationship. She wants to remain married, but she wants the freedom to engage in sex with others if she wants to. She thinks that monogamy is unnatural and it keeps people from exploring and being who they truly are. I don’t know what has gotten in to her. Yes, I can admit that the thought of this excites me a little bit, but I never would think about asking my wife for this kind of arrangement. It seems that open relationships are being discussed more than ever before, but I’m not with that. I cannot imagine sharing this woman with another man or woman. I do want her to be happy so we can keep our family together. What if I tell my wife no and she ends up having an affair anyway? I need some help with this one. Steve, what do I do? Please help.
For many folks, when life flashes in front of our eyes, there is a different appreciation for life. You start to notice and appreciate the small things that once didn't mean that much to you. Knowing that life can be taken away in an instance or that your health condition can change drastically, you start to look at things differently. While she didn't walk into the marriage wanting to play the field, is she wrong for wanting to live 'freely' now?
Take a listen to what Shirley and Steve have to say:
What do you think?