Newspaper columnist and counselor George Crane-George Mueller

Newspaper columnist and counselor George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. “I not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me.” Dr. Crane thought about that for a couple of moments and then suggested an ingenious plan.

Go home and act as if you really loved your husband,” He told her. “Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind and considerate and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. After you’ve convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him… then drop the bomb. Tell him that you’re getting a divorce. That will really hurt him.”

With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!”

And she did it with enthusiasm. For two months she acted “as if,” she loved him. She was kind to him, she listened to him. She was constantly giving, reinforcing, sharing.

Two months went by… and she didn’t return to her counselor, so Crane called her. “Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?” “Divorce?” she exclaimed. “Never! I discovered I really do love him.”