Forgiveness: The Greatest Act of Love

I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere where everybody knows everyone's business. I met my wife in high school and we got married and had kids and have an immensely deep love for each other that a lot of people don't experience or get in their life.  But every love story has it's valleys as well as it's mountain tops.  And today my story for you is a deep valley, one that most never come out of in their relationships.  

It was many years ago now but my wife who is a very smart, educated, hard working woman got an opportunity of a lifetime.  She was able to go and help a team in her field of renewable energy learn and setup a plan to work towards meeting some climate goals for their country.  I was so excited for her but it meant she would be gone for almost a year.  There was no way I would stay in the way of the dreams regardless of what they were.  

I managed pretty well with our kids while she was gone, thanks to help from our families and our friends.  One in particular who was my wife's best friend and promised her she would help out as best she could.  In hindsight it was a mistake because my wife's friend was a lonely single girl and I was now a lonely married man.  Yes, the story goes exactly where you think and we ended up having an affair.  We both knew it was wrong but people make mistakes.  I would wager that many of you reading this have made your own.  

The guilt ate away at me and I couldn't keep it from my wife after she returned and our marriage almost came to it's demise.  But we worked at it and rebuilt from the ground up.  And I know for many of you that would be the end of the line and things would be over.  When I think of the last several decades of our life and all we would have missed out on together had she called it quits.  

I cannot judge your situation and for many leaving is probably the right thing to do but for us forgiveness was the path of true love.  When you look at art there is some that beautiful but pure simplicity and others are full of complexity and layers hard to understand.  This is a reflection of love, some are simple and straightforward and beautiful.  Others are complex and have been through much but are equally beautiful.  I recently heard it said "True love is loving an imperfect person perfectly."  

- Chad Campbell