Known by many as the “beardless brother” and the first Robertson daughter-in-law from the popular television series “Duck Dynasty,” Al and Lisa Robertson have a backstory of love, treachery, and atonement. In sharing their experience through their book A New Season, they want to encourage other couples going through comparable things.
A Very Personal Story Of Struggle
High school was where Al and Lisa first met and began dating, and in 1984 they were married. The couple has said that their early years were difficult due to the usual obstacles of college, establishing a career, and parenting. Unfortunately, infidelity was also an obstacle that the pair had to deal with. Lisa was emotionally entangled with a coworker in the summer of 1989. The romance developed into a serious strain on Al and Lisa’s marriage even though it was not sexual.
Though the path to reconciliation was difficult, Al forgave Lisa and the man she had been “cheating” with. In their book A New Season, Al acknowledges that their recovery was hampered by his frequent use of Lisa’s indiscretion against her.
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They stayed together, but they didn’t really deal with their problems, which resulted in another affair ten years later. This time, in 1999, Al learned about Lisa’s full-blown affair with an old boyfriend via cell phone records.
Recovery After An Affair
Once more having to deal with the destruction of Lisa’s infIdelity, Al and Lisa chose to temporarily separate and go for counseling. Their efforts were rewarded with a private vow renewal ceremony that represented their resolve to mend their marriage. Today, they’ve made it their goal to help other spouses deal with the fallout from an affair, according to an interview with Focus on the Family.
Al said in the interview that he believes culture tends to imply that ending a marriage is simpler than trying to mend one. He stressed the need of knowing the causes of adultery in order to prevent the fallout from divorce, particularly for the children.
“They were born into this world deserving for you guys to get it right,” said Al.
Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Al and Lisa’s efforts to fix their marriage demonstrates both the great power of forgiveness and the challenges of getting over marital betrayal. They underline that forgiving takes time and shouldn’t be hurried. Though immediate forgiveness may seem nice, real healing takes time to process the loss of closeness and trust.
For personal healing as well as religious reasons, Lisa feels that forgiveness is essential.
“He tells us to forgive for ourselves because it releases within us the victim mentality and the hurt,” Lisa said in the interview.
Al agreed, saying that counseling and occasionally even separation should be used to approach forgiveness.
Today, Al and Lisa Robertson are not just reality TV stars; they are living testaments to the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. Their marriage is proof positive that feelings of betrayal and damaged trust can be healed. They still talk about their experience today and give couples going through comparable experiences support and empathy through their book.
