My Dearest Bette,

My poor darling, the bluebirds of life have certainly been pottying in your geraniums, havent they? I am so sorry to hear about your Saab. I always did like that little car.

I am rather shocked that Shane is living with that oddball from the toolshed. I am frightened more to hear that you are seeing in yourself similar qualities to that unkempt creature. You are many things, but you are not an oddball. So, what is it of yourself that you see in the funny little writer?

As for Tina, well, Shakespeare (I believe it was Shakespeare) said it best about ***** and the fury of a woman scorned, though she hardly is scorned is she? I must say that I am perplexed over her behavior. Granted adultery is certainly at the top of the list of unacceptable transgressions, but it is not an unforgivable sin. Bear in mind, I am making no apologies for what you did. Nevertheless, I am puzzled by Tinas complete unwillingness to even attempt forgiveness.

Forgive me, my dear friend, for saying this, but perhaps you and Tina werent meant to be. If her love for you isnt strong enough to even try to overcome this obstacle then, perhaps that love isnt as strong as you had both postulated. Granted, I speak as a woman who has never experienced the pain of what is almost the ultimate betrayal.

I fear that I will be unable to clearly articulate my thoughts here, so please be patient as I try to express my thoughts. We all live by our own moral creed. Despite what the nuns taught us, it is unique to all of us what are the venial and mortal sins. For some of us, there are transgressions which fall into the range of the unforgivable, whereas to others of us those transgressions are forgivable. If I may use Shane for an example, to the nuns, her lifestyle would simply be without forgiveness. Yet, you and I pass no moral judgment upon her promiscuity. I suppose what I am trying to say is that there are some of us who can forgive our lover wandering into the bed of another. There are others of us who cannot. I know that you have always held adultery as unforgivable in your creed. Now, however, I wonder if perhaps you have discovered otherwise. Some of us judge only in absolutes, some of us judge in shades of grey.