When the Work Feels One-Sided
I’ve been working my way through The Empowered Wife , and I’ll admit—parts of it challenge me deeply. Sometimes it feels as though the book is saying that every problem in my marriage is mine to fix, that if I just change myself enough, he’ll be kind and open again. But here’s the thing: I am the same woman he chose years ago. The same voice he once couldn’t get enough of is now, apparently, too much. One of his complaints is that I talk too much—but I talked this much from the beginning. In fact, our very first conversation is what drew him in. The truth is, he’s changed too. He used to be more open. Now, I find myself navigating half-truths, quiet lies, and even bold-faced lies. I believe he’s in the throes of a midlife crisis. I say that with compassion; I went through my own years ago, in my first marriage. I know the storm of it—the confusion, the unraveling, the ache of not knowing who you are anymore. And if that’s where he is, there’s nothing I can do but wait and tend to myse...
