DEAR ABBY: After 34 years of marriage, I learned that my husband was cheating with a woman three years older than our son.
The hurt was terrible and the embarrassment was horrendous. Not as much for me, but for people who did not know how to console me. With a death, friends can be sorry and there is closure. With a divorce, people do not know what to say.
My method for dealing with this was with humor. People were well aware of my hurt, but when I replied, "He got the bimbo; I got the tractor," they were able to laugh and their discomfort dissipated. My advice is to find a catch phrase that lightens the situation. You'll still hurt and mourn, but your friends will be much more comfortable. The sooner you laugh, the sooner you heal. -- MERILYN IN HOLLY, MICH.
DEAR MERILYN: Wise words, indeed.