Divorce: When Is It Time To Throw In The Towel?

My redhead and I have been talking about divorce.

[I considered just letting that last statement stand to see what you guys would say, but them someone would end up in tears and I would have then had to apologize…so I will explain.]

Now we are not CONTEMPLATING divorce, just talking about the topic.

We have a number of couples in their 40’s and 50’s who have been married for 20+ years who are miserable.

I don’t mean “he’s” miserable or “she’s” miserable, I mean they are both miserable in their relationship and have been for some years. They all have kids and, like I said, have been married for umpteen years.

They try everything they can NOT to be together. They argue. They can’t agree on any sense of direction or goal for their lives or their children.

In case you’re wondering: In several cases they are still having sex, though it isn’t very frequent. You’ve heard of “friends with benefits”? They’re more like “enemies with benefits”.

So my redhead and I have been talking amongst ourselves about whether dropping the “D-bomb” might make everyone–even their kids–happier.

But then the “what if” kicks in and we start wondering, “what if” it just seems to them they haven’t been happy with their partner in years? What if this is a stage in their marriage and if they bail now they will regret it?

So what’s your input…what factors would you think are important in choosing whether or not divorce is a beneficial thing?

Oh, and for the Bible thumpers, here are a couple of verses from the mouth of G to the D:

Malachi 2:16

“I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel

Jeremiah 3:8

I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce.