You are being honest.
I'm not sure what else you can do.
By the way, I'm not sure that it is ok for you to post his e-mail word for word ~ if only on the grounds of copyright.
Re parents, etc, people do seem to want to give advice and tell their stories, rather than leave you alone to sort yourself out. Partly this is because they care and want to 'keep an eye on' you; partly, it's just the way people are.
You say that you need time and space to sort yourself out. You have told your husband this; have you told your friends and family? Is that what you want from them ~ time and space?
This is a big step that you are taking and your husband sounds like a decent person, so I can really understand that you don't want to hurt him and that you do want to be sure what to do, as far as the future of your relationship goes
