Oh, Maria!

What words are there? I was very sad to hear about the end of Maria Shriver's marriage because I thought theirs was the kind that endured. Days after, girlfriends and I shuddered at what was yet to come. True enough, the cat is out of its sordid bag.

The level of untruth and betrayal is astounding. That the woman with whom Arnold Schwarzenegger had a child was a trusted housekeeper for 20 years makes it all the more cruel. Half that time, she must have interacted with Maria Shriver and her children on a daily basis. Lord, she must have been carrying that baby in her belly in plain view of the family day in and day out. That is just so twisted.

On the surface it seems valiant of Schwarzenegger to say he deserves to be mistreated, but please, not his family. Well, he should have thought of all that before. The truth is the minute he crossed THAT threshold, he tore his family apart and made them vulnerable to the world. That was all his doing. And what of the little son?

Deception leaves too many casualties in its wake.

I wrote before that truth, no matter how painful, gives you choice. If he had come clean when it happened, might there have been a chance? Maybe not for the marriage, but for Maria to have created her own path simply because she could see the terrain clearly. But her husband kept it from her, obviously as an act of self-preservation. He came clean only after he stepped down from office. What a coward and a loser. He selfishly took years from her life. That is unforgivable.

I keep wondering why it's so difficult for men to keep their pants on. Is it not enough to think of their children? Clearly, it's never enough to think of their wives. But the kids. The kids and their inevitable heartbreak ought to be enough to pause and zip up. Really. And if not, then do the next best thing and man up!!! Tell the truth. It just makes life that much more bearable for all. Truth gives everyone dignity, and that is the first thing you take away from people you lie to. You make a mistake, fine, but offer the next best thing and come clean. Give the people you love and who have loved you selflessly, the right to choose the next step. They can only do that if they can see the full picture.

On the upside, I believe Maria will soar. Now that there is only truth around her, this courageous woman will sprout wings and be able to achieve so much more than she already has. My heart goes out to her, but I am so excited for the mark she will yet leave on the world.

YOU GO GIRL.