Oh well, he married her. He expressed regret to me the night before their rehearsal dinner, but never repentance. His leaving devastated our grown sons. Nine years later our oldest son died of sepsis from pneumonia at the age of 35 a year after our son’s wife left him for another. His immune system was so worn out he didn’t even have elevated white cells to fight the infection. In the ER he had a lively conversation with the staff working on him and once they intibated him, his rapidly beating heart simply slowed down and stopped. It’s been stated he died from a broken heart.

As I read on this site, the best thing a parent can do for their children is to love their spouse. I know my husband has paid a devastating price. He knows. He now has a wife who is much stricter than I ever thought of being. We are friends, and years later I met and married a man who is good to me and my family and my ex. I looked at Jon and Kate last night and wished I could tell them my story and that they could be friends. The only real reason for divorce is so that one can be “free” as we constantly hear Jon saying, to date and potentially marry another.

When they showed home video of Jon and Kate Christmas BEFORE they married, she is happy, laughing and he is somber. She asked, “Is it on, is it recording?” He HATEFULLY responds, “YES, IT’S ON!! Don’t you see the red light?? THAT MEANS IT’S ON!!” She paused a moment and then smiled timidly and spoke almost in a whisper to the camera and said, “Hiiiiiii”. This let me know how Jon is and has been since before they married. Obviously Kate’s tone has developed through the years in response to his unkindness that he simply didn’t show in front of TLC’s cameras as much as she did…..until lately.

I noticed that my husband was increasingly cruel even in front of others up til he left. Guilt. And he didn’t spend our anniversary with me. Wow! It’s like a playbook has been used to duplicate this behavior over and over in many families, even those without multiples. We had two sons three years to the day apart and many thought they were twins as they grew to the same size, dressed alike, etc. We did have different philosophies about child rearing, but they did turn out so well. With the extra stress of taking care of multiples it does appear that these Gosselin children are very balanced now.

It saddens me to hear Jon talk so much about how young he was when the children came, and how he’s missed doing guy things, and needs to turn the page, be free etc. I didn’t want to believe Jon was interested in other woman, (whether he “cheated” …Pres. Clinton’s playbook)or not, yet as the same behavior plays that my husband did, I’m afraid now that Jon does want freedom to be young and single. When did he get the earrings??? Gee!

I’m glad to read of you moms taking a look at cherishing your spouse so that you CAN do what’s best for your children. I noticed the babies were playing with the crooked houses and having a Wedding last night. As I said, I cried. For all Kate’s OCD which she admitted, she obviously TRUSTED Jon. The betrayal of trust is soooo painful. I’m praying for them, all of you and myself as I relived the pain that I saw them going through.

Sorry this is so long. For those of you who haven’t yawned off, I’m glad to be blessed by your sharing. This is my first time. I’m a preacher’s kid like Kate, so lived in the public criticism from birth. I do feel my responsibility to teach the younger women to love their husbands and to love their children as given in I Peter in the Bible. I hope through my own experience sharing I may be able to encourage others too. But most of all I applaud those of you who were specially chosen by God for nurturing multiples.

I’m only now, at 8 months, coming to some of the more tangible rewards of twins (other than getting to hold two babies at once when you give birth – which is pretty dang tangible). They seek each other out, smile at each other, hold hands and babble. Of course, I also have to keep splitting them up when my son decides that his sister is the yummiest thing on the block and must be eaten up, or my daughter decides that her brother is just the most awesomely snuggable thing ever, and he must be hugged close.

Give and take, man, give and take.

Thanks for all you do!

Best,

Supa