Steve, again I must thank you for your beautifully revealing sharing of your thoughts, hopes, and fears. Before I go on, I wish to apologize to you for the impertinence of my questions—way too many—most being ones you can’t satisfactorily answer or would not want to ****** to the forum at this time. But mostly I want to apologize for writing a summary. Summaries always suffer from being condensed and as such simplify things that must remain complex. I previously read all your posts. My intent was primarily to remind you that your sharing, including Sue’s thoughts, helps me and many other readers to better understand their own feelings.
I agree with those who are optimistic regarding your future life together with Sue. I see Sue caring immensely for you. She looks into your eyes, she listens to your words, she detects your body language and she reconciles what she sees you need and want with her needs and wants—acts of a true life partner. From what you have revealed I see little critical danger for your relationship. At bottom Sue has said in years past and implies most days through her words and actions that she will not hurt you more than the angst you desire. At bottom, again only from your words, I believe that Sue would drop all extra-marital acts or do whatever else is needed to ensure your happy life together. Ultimately I see the exploration you two are sharing together as an exploration of one aspect of your relationship with most other aspects being protected and mostly undisturbed. Sometime in the future I expect these adventures will become a pleasant memory, a joy in fully exploring aspects of your relationship most married couples are not prepared, or too afraid, to attempt. I, again only from your writings, believe that you two have a strong and committed relationship that is stronger than most ‘successful’ marriages.
Are you a cuckold? That depends on one’s definition. In my mind you are not. Firstly you have not lost control. You have only ceded it. If the angst becomes unbearable, Sue will stop or adjust to meet your needs. So, effectively you have a safeword which would be lovingly respected. Secondly, while you are rightly pleased that Sue is doing more because see wants the expanded experiences, it appears to me through your writings that you are and will remain the key motivator. So at the very least, you are topping from the bottom. Your sensitivity combined with your strength of conviction shows me that if need be you could abandon, or modify, or take a break from this experiment. You together appear to me to be capable of a complete loving mutually supporting family life absent the adventure if that was best for you two. So, if you are a ‘cuckold’, you are a voluntary one, not an addicted one. So is your marriage safe? In my mind yes because you both care more about each other and your life partnership than the pleasures and satisfactions and complexities the adventure provides. I do not see you two falling over the brink as some have feared.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts and progress with others. I expect you are helping many people.