1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: It's time now for today's Strawberry Letter, and if you 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 1: need advice on relationships, work, sex, parenting, and more, please 3 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: submit your Strawberry Letter to Steve HARVEYFM dot com and 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: click submit Strawberry Letter. We could be reading your letter 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: live on the air, just like we're going to read 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: this one right here, right now, and you never know, 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: it could be yours. 8 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 2: It could be yours. Buckle up and hold on tight. 9 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 2: We got it for you. Here it is Strawberry Letter. 10 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: Thank you. Nephew's subject I should tell him before marriage. 11 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: Dear Stephen Shirley, I'm a twenty nine year old engaged woman, 12 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 1: but my husband doesn't know. I have a big secret. 13 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 1: We've been dating for almost seven years, and before we met, 14 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: I slept with two of his brothers in his fraternity. 15 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 2: God it was. 16 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: Graduation night and we had a house party and things 17 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: got wild in the bathroom with two of my girlfriends 18 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: and the two guys. There were five of us, so 19 00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: it wasn't like I'm meant to sleep with his return 20 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: ternity brothers. My boyfriend was at this party too, but 21 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: he had no idea where I was. We were all 22 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: so wasted that we could not remember all the details 23 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: to tell anyone about it. A few months after that happened, 24 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: my boyfriend told me that he cheated on me with 25 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: someone I knew, and I was very hurt, but I 26 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: could not break up with him because I knew what 27 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 1: I had done to him. I let it go and 28 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: we moved in with each other and have been together 29 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: for years. Just a week ago, I ran into one 30 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: of the guys that I had sex with, and he 31 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: was joking about that wild night we had in the bathroom. 32 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 1: He said, it is amazing that I got a good 33 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: man like my fiance. I told him what we did 34 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: was once in a lifetime. It was a once in 35 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: a lifetime thing when I was younger, and I haven't 36 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: done anything like that since then. He made me feel 37 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: nasty by the way he looked at me. He said, 38 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: he's planning to come to our wedding. I want to 39 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: tell my fiance how crazy the guy talked to me, 40 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: but I can't because I have to tell I'd have 41 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: to tell the whole story. I decided to tell my 42 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: fiance that I was so wasted that all I remember 43 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: was going to the bathroom and guys were in there. 44 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: But he'll want to know what guys were in there. 45 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: When I tell him, do I have to tell everything? Well, yeah, 46 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: once you started, I mean he's going to be asking 47 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: you questions and all of that. It's going to open 48 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 1: the door and it's going to all come to light 49 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: if you start that it was a long time ago 50 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: and you were very young. Okay, you said you don't 51 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 1: remember everything that happened that night. It's not an excuse. 52 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: It's just that everyone when they're young does really really 53 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: stupid stuff, especially when alcohol is involved. And you do 54 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: know there's a double standard, and your man will judge 55 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: you not only because of what you did, but who 56 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:53,519 Speaker 1: you did. His frat brothers are off limits. But what's 57 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: done is done now and that's that. However, you are 58 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: under no obligation to tell him about your past. I 59 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: mean the passage is that the past, and you can't 60 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: change what happened. So don't dwell on it. Don't tell him. 61 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: Ask yourself, what is telling him gonna do? What is 62 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: that gonna do? If you do tell him, be prepared 63 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: that he's gonna be mad and he might leave you 64 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: because he can't deal with the fact that the guys 65 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: you were with were his fraternity brothers. 66 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 2: Steve, all right, this is a real simple letter. I 67 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 2: don't know how I can take a long time with this. 68 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 2: I don't know how I can draw this out into 69 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 2: two breaks, because this is not a two break letter. 70 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 2: You are twenty nine years old back in college. You 71 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 2: were twenty twenty one graduation night. You was in the bathroom, 72 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 2: you and two of your girlfriends and two guys at 73 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: a party. Some guy out of hand. All y'all had sex. 74 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 2: Your boyfriend was at the party. Two It just so 75 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 2: happened that two of the dudes that was in the 76 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: bathroom was his frat brothers. Horrible judgment, just a bad judgment. Call. 77 00:03:55,760 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: You just made a poor decision that night. Prisons are 78 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 2: full of good people who made bad decision, full of man. 79 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 2: There's some great dudes and women sitting in prisons all 80 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 2: over this country that made a bad decision. You made 81 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 2: a bad decision, w'ch twenty nine years old, and now 82 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 2: you're marrying the guy who was at the party. But 83 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 2: what happened is you run up into the guy you 84 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 2: had sex with, and now he looking at you crazy, 85 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 2: made you feel nasty, talk to you a little bit crazy. 86 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 2: Now you say you want to go tell your boyfriend 87 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 2: about this secret. Now you didn't tell him in the beginning, 88 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 2: because he ended up telling you he cheated with one 89 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 2: of your friends, a girl you knew, and you was 90 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 2: hurt by it, but you didn't want to. You let 91 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 2: it go because you knew what you had did to him. 92 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: Now rose had reversed. You're about to get married. This 93 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 2: frat brother told you he coming to the wedding. He 94 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 2: can't believe you got a good guy like that. You 95 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 2: told him it was a once in a life time thing. 96 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 2: And now we at what the letter is about. I 97 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 2: decided to tell my fiance that I was so wasted 98 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 2: that all our men was going to the bathroom and 99 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 2: guys were in there. But he'll want to know what 100 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 2: guys were in there when I tell him, do I 101 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 2: have to tell him everything? I have one word for you, 102 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 2: Why come on? Why? Why why are you talking about this? 103 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 2: So what you ran up into that dude. That's what 104 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 2: I'm telling you right now that. 105 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 3: Y'all lying, Lying is so important. 106 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 2: Lying. I can't stress to you how important it is 107 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 2: to lie. All is truth at all costs is the 108 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 2: most ignorant ass thing you could say. 109 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: The truth doesn't matter. 110 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 2: Though, truth does not matter. The truth is oval rating. 111 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:21,799 Speaker 2: It is overrated. If you told him the truth about 112 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 2: that night, whack. And now, do you know what happens 113 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 2: after you do that? No, you don't know what's gonna happen. 114 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 2: But do you want Uncle Steve to tell you what 115 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 2: could potentially happen if you say this to this man 116 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 2: on I'll tell you when we come back. 117 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: Save that. Okay, we'll have part two of Steve's response 118 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: coming up at twenty three minutes after the hour. Today's 119 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: Strawberry Letter, subject I should tell him before marriage. We'll 120 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 1: get back into it right after. 121 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 2: Yes, you're listening, Morning show. 122 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: All right, Come on, Steve, let's recap today's Strawberry letter. 123 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 1: The subject I should tell him before marriage. 124 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 2: Twenty nine year old woman about to get married. Been 125 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 2: living with a boyfriend a few years now. They was 126 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 2: dating in college. On graduation night, she went into a 127 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 2: bathroom and two of her girlfriends, two of his frat brothers, 128 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 2: was in there. They all had sex together. The thing 129 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 2: of it was, he was at the party two that night, 130 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 2: her boyfriend downstairs, on stairs somewhere like that. Fast forward. 131 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 2: Years later, he admitted to her that he cheated on 132 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 2: her with a girl. She knew she was hurt, but 133 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 2: she didn't. She let it go and let it slide 134 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 2: because she realizes what she had did to him on 135 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 2: graduation night. Okay, I four and I tip for attack. 136 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 2: Got it done over with. Years later, right before the 137 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 2: marriages had about to happen, she runs into one of 138 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 2: the guys that was in the bathroom, who is also 139 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 2: her fiance's frat brother. He said, reminded her that wild 140 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 2: night and can't believe she got such a good guy 141 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 2: like this and was talking to her crazy, looking at 142 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 2: her like she was nasty where you was all y'all 143 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 2: was nasty in that bathroom. It was nasty up in there. 144 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 2: It was five of y'all in there, So something nasty happened. 145 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 2: You have decided, for some ungodly reason, that you want 146 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 2: to now tell your fiance that you got wasted one 147 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 2: night and was in that bathroom and some other people 148 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 2: was in there. But you don't want to tell him everything. 149 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 2: But suppose he wants to know more? Do I tell 150 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 2: him everything? My one word question for you is why 151 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 2: why would you do that? Why would you open your 152 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 2: damn mouth? Why let's go to what's wrong with that? 153 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 2: Why would you tell the truth. Let's just explore it 154 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 2: from the woman angle who always wants to know every 155 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 2: damn thing. See y'all want to see y'all. I always 156 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 2: want to know every damn thing. But then you, your 157 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:08,680 Speaker 2: dumb ass, wanna tell every damn thing. Shut show damn mouth. 158 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: This ain't the time for truth. He ain't suspected nothing. 159 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,839 Speaker 2: He didn't bust you. They aint went to him and say, 160 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 2: hey man, we got something to tell you. Ain't none 161 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 2: of that happened. You have been forgiven. Move on. Now 162 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 2: you gonna go in here and tell him. I was 163 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 2: in the bathroom with two of your friends on graduation, 164 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 2: and then they ain't got out here. And then we 165 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 2: all him and five of us in there and we 166 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 2: had sex, and that was there. They will be there. 167 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 2: I didn't want to stop because it was good, and 168 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 2: they were a while we was graduating, so I was 169 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 2: celebrating in there. Your friend brother Hall, he was all 170 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 2: over me. He just kept on. And then I saw 171 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 2: Hale and he told me about the little girl. What 172 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 2: you did that bad judgment night as a young woman. 173 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 2: You a grown woman. Now shut your damn mouth. I 174 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,199 Speaker 2: keep telling you all about this truth over rate it. 175 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 2: It ain't the time for you. There are times when 176 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 2: lies are absolutely necessary. Now if now, and I'm gonna 177 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 2: tell you how you could lie. If the frat brother 178 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 2: went to his frat brother and say, hey, man, I 179 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 2: can't let you do this. I had your girl that night. 180 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 2: We was in the bathroom. Guess what you say. I 181 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:27,199 Speaker 2: wasn't in no damn bathroom. Okay, what are you talking about? 182 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 2: Get hear me bring I wasn't in no damn bathroom 183 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 2: with you. You like, I promise you I'll be in there. 184 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:43,719 Speaker 2: I know that's right. And you ain't even got to 185 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 2: lie because guess what all you got to do is 186 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 2: not bring it up right. This is not being deceitful. 187 00:10:54,440 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 2: This is called forgiveness. That's what it is. This is 188 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 2: called grace. Let me tell you something, young lady. I 189 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 2: can assure you that all of us have done something 190 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 2: that God has allowed us to slide on. Thank you Lord. 191 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 2: All all of us donedone something that we hope would 192 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 2: never get out there, and it just didn't get out 193 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 2: especially those of us who lived in the time before 194 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:33,200 Speaker 2: social media and phone camels. I can't tell you how 195 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 2: grateful I am to God that the seventies and eighties 196 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 2: and nineties and early two thousands. No proof that run 197 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 2: I made from seventy seven to two thousand and five 198 00:11:51,120 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 2: was epic. Oh what my Space wasn't even out then? 199 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 2: The Hall King tour is undocumented. Thank you Jesus. Now, wow, 200 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 2: would I take my family and sit them down and say, 201 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 2: let me tell you I can't live like this. I'm 202 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 2: fin to tell you everything. Man, my kids, let me 203 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 2: tell you so my kids will leave me, not my 204 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 2: kids would leave me, Daddy? What my grandkids are quick 205 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 2: calling me? Paupaul? Hang it out to man, Lady lady, 206 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 2: don't open your mouth. It's okay. And trust me, everybody 207 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 2: listening has done something that God has given them some 208 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 2: grace for and just let it slide. Eat that alone, 209 00:12:57,960 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 2: all right? 210 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: Your comment? Thank you Steve on Today's Strawberry Letter. On 211 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 1: Instagram and Facebook, It's Steve Harvey FM. And check us 212 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: out on the Strawberry Letter podcast on the free iHeartRadio app. 213 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: Coming up next it is Junior and Sports Talk. Right 214 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: after this, you're listening to the Steve Harvey Morning Show