Elizabeth Edwards shared some of her feelings with the Detroit Free Press about the affair her husband, John Edwards, finally admitted to six weeks ago. With a clearly strong and dedicated devotion to family, Elizabeth opens up about the difficulties of dealing with infidelity and the hope she has for life beyond breast cancer.
Nearly six weeks after news broke of her husband John’s extramarital affair, Elizabeth Edwards opened up about her “ongoing process of finding your feet again.”
“There’s a lot of adjustment to make,” Edwards told the Detroit Free Press in her first interview since her husband, 55, a former presidential candidate, admitted in a TV interview that he had been unfaithful. “Trust … [is] probably the most difficult hurdle.”
Edwards, 59, says that as she continues to undergo treatment for her stage 4 breast cancer, she remains optimistic because “With the research, it looks like there may be a new drug for me down the line. My job is to stay alive until they find a cure. I don’t think there’s any way to live with this diagnosis than to have that kind of optimism.”
[People]
After months of steadfastly campaigning by her husbands side while dealing with the treatment and effects of stage 4 breast cancer, Elizabeth was faced with the public disgrace of her husband’s infidelity and rumors of his fathering a child with the woman he cheated with. Through all of that, she manages to remain gracious, even refusing to “feed the monster” when asked if she’s forgiven her husband.
“I don’t want to feed the monster, if you don’t mind.” She added that if she had her leg amputated, as opposed to her husband having an affair, people would not ask: “Are you over that leg thing yet?”
She added, “People had this idea that we represented, as a couple, some sort of perfection … There is no perfection out there.”
[People]
Elizabeth’s main focus is on her children and her advocacy work. Through everything her husband John has put her through, she hopes her children will continue to see their father as “an adovcate for poverty, not this current picture of him, to be the one they carry with him. I need to create the picture of him that I want them to have.” That’s admirable of her, for her children’s sake, but so unfair for her at any stage of life, but especially in the one she’s in. I hope for the sake of John Edward’s soul he thanks not only God but his amazing wife for being her, every single day that he has.
In the meantime, Elizabeth Edwards stays strong and hopeful, and continues to advocate for women’s issues and health care reform. She testified before Congress on health care reform Thursday and a Detroit visit is scheduled for October 15, during Breast Cancer Awareness month, to speak on coping with the “ongoing process of finding your feet again” after adversity.
Elizabeth Edwards knows adversity, and not surprisingly, she seems to know how to find her feet again, too.
John and Elizabeth Edwards are shown at Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People Gala on 5/8/07. Credit: Janet Mayer / PR Photos
She is far too good for him.
I agree.
He definitely doesn’t deserve her.
i don’t know what to comment really…she is entitled to believe or feel whatever she wants to – whatever makes the situation easiest for her…to hell with her critics
If she has truly found her feet again, she’d use them to go running away from her cheating cad of a husband. There is no dignity for either herself or her children to stay with a man who not only cheated on her, but cheated on her while she was in the midst of battling breast cancer. How low can you go? Obviously that low!
What he has put his wife through during this time in her life is absolutely revolting.
Well, as the saying goes, if she’s staying with him, she must be getting something out of it.
My hope is that it involves lithe young men, bubble baths and Godiva chocolate.
That Godiva chocolate is the yummiest! To that list I would add copious quantities of champagne and a masseuse..
“My job is to stay alive until they find a cure”.
That statement broke my heart. 😥 I couldn’t imagine leaving two small children. She is optimistic, hope is a wonderful thing.
Kaiser & Geronimo, have you ever had Jeff DeBruges chocolate?? Much better than Godiva 😀
Leaving her husband isn’t as easy as it seems for a woman in her position. She’s dying, she has two small children at home, she lost a child a couple years ago, and while John is piece of shit, he’s still her husband of 30 (?) years. Walking out and adding to her children’s stress (they’re already dealing with their father’s downfall, and, more importantly, their mother’s dwindling health) could very well makes things worse for her, and for the whole family.
I’m not claiming to know the answers, but I feel for her and understand her decision to stick around.
I think Barack picked the wrong VP candidate. Tons of class, a real fighter, and she can see Russia from a map. 😉
Only the two of them know the inside of their marriage. She says it’s not perfection. But if she’s willing to stick with it, then that’s her business.
I am impressed with her and think she’s handling this in the most judicious and classy way possible. I agree with Nudgie, I see a new VP movement afoot.
The impressive part to me is that she’s putting her children first. When it would be so easy to walk away, she’s making sure that the one parent they’re likely to have for a long time isn’t a demon in THEIR eyes. I think that takes an astounding amount of will and is a beautiful representation of motherhood.
I agree with all the comments here regarding Elizabeth being able to put the needs of her children in front of her own. My mother was very much like Elizabeth, I’m sure Elizabeth’s mother was this type of mother too. My mother passed away three+ years ago but I still rely on what she taught me by example and hopefully the Edwards children will rely on the memories Elizabeth is making for them.
She continues to impress me. Not sure if I would have it in my heart to forgive such betrayal at a time when my life is in jeopardy but it is comforting to know that an act like that even exists. God has truly blessed her.
What can you do, poor thing, she loves the two-timing sh*t and she’s loyal. How can John Edwards even stand himself?
Let the loss of his political career hopefully be his lesson.
I feel terrible for Elizabeth,I experienced the exact same thing.I thought my husband was wonderfully loyal.After going through such an emotional and physically grueling situation I needed my spouse even more and to know he deserted me in my darkest hour broke my heart.I understand why she stays, her plate is full and she needs to stay focused on her family and getting well,once that is accomplished she can reevaluate
There are two very important issues that need John Edwards:
Universal Healthcare and,
the Fight against Poverty.
I wish these issues hadn’t fallen off the political radar when he did, but they did.
These issues are very important to some of us people.
So, peeps, please stop your hateration of Senator John Edwards.
We need him back as a spokesperson, and we really don’t mind that he is Human.