Rappler’s Life and Style section runs an advice column by couple Jeremy Baer and clinical psychologist Dr. Margarita Holmes.
Today, one’s partner is expected to be a soulmate, best friend, lover, and parent, and love is supposed to be at the center of the relationship, and so, in this increasingly secular world, what was a fusion of religion and pragmatism has now become much more relational. Against this background, Stella, you face a classic conundrum. You have a happy marriage, with many of the essential components: love, respect, commitment, stability, children etc. However, the novelty, the chase, the excitement, the white-hot passion, have worn off. Now, suddenly reunited with your first boyfriend, all these are again within your grasp, hence your desire to seize them with enthusiasm despite the love you continue to feel for your husband.