Charity Craig, a mother of four from Florida, has shared her story of how her husband’s infidelity in 2012 played a surprising role in saving their marriage.
As a marriage coach now, she emphasizes that focusing on healing herself and their relationship, instead of demonizing the “other woman,” was the key to their successful reconciliation.
The couple, married since January 17, 2004, faced common challenges in their marriage, including a demanding job for her husband and the stresses of raising four children in quick succession.
After eight years of marriage, when her husband landed his dream job, the couple faced a crucial juncture in their lives.
Unfortunately, the demands of the job caused stress for her husband, and he ended up being unfaithful with a woman from his church.
This led to a six-month separation before the couple eventually decided to work on rebuilding their relationship.
The woman, who used to be a teacher, took the lead in dealing with her own problems through therapy. Together, the couple sought help from professionals to deal with their difficulties.
Now 46 years old and a mother of four, she looks back on the changes they’ve made.
“It dawned on me he’s not my enemy,” the mother of four told PEOPLE. “We’re both just humans with deep wounds, and that’s where we started healing.”
“Affairs don’t happen in a vacuum,” the woman said.
“Once you heal yourself and your marriage, 10,000 women can walk past my husband, and he’s not going to blink an eye because he’s not looking for an escape.”
“They acted more hurt and betrayed than I did.” “People hate seeing how broken and shattered you are,” She added.
Valentine’s Day in 2013 became the couple’s first date after dealing with the affair in their marriage.
When advising others facing similar challenges, they advise against discussing relationship problems openly because going public can make things more complicated, especially if the couple decides to stay together.
Despite the difficult times, the woman and her 41-year-old husband are now in a content and happy place in their 20-year marriage. The husband also reflects on their journey.
“We talk about the affair in a more reflective way now. We’ve actually been married longer after the affair than before it,” he said.