Henry was lying on his deathbed. Sensing his final moments were near, he gripped his wife’s hand and whispered, “Martha, before I pass, I must know the absolute truth. In all our fifty years of marriage, have you ever been unfaithful to me?”
Martha sighed and looked down. “Well, Henry, I have to be honest with you. Yes, I’ve been unfaithful to you three times. But always for a very good reason.”
Though deeply hurt, Henry choked back his tears. “I never suspected a thing. Please, tell me about these ‘good reasons.'”
“The first time,” Martha explained, “was right after we got married. We were about to lose our little house because we couldn’t pay the mortgage. Do you remember how I went to see the banker one evening, and the very next day he extended our loan?”
Henry nodded. “Ah, yes. I remember. You did it to save our home, so I can forgive you for that. What about the second time?”
“Do you remember when you were terribly sick and needed a massive heart surgery that we couldn’t afford?” Martha asked. “I went to see your surgeon that night, and he performed the entire operation for completely free.”
“I recall that,” Henry said softly. “You did it to save my life. I forgive you for that as well. Now, tell me about the third time.”
Martha took a deep breath and said, “Alright. Do you remember when you ran for president of your golf club… and you still needed 73 more votes?”
