Turning the Page

[theforlornhope]

Jack, WOW, Petty Officer Munro was amazing. One man like that sure can make a difference. What a service to those Marines and this country.



Marines and bar-fights, like cookies and milk. Sorry about a low G2 Marine starting it. I'm glad they helped out and nothing permanent happened.


Man your posts always make me THINK.

I think it is part of that cycle of withdrawal. I'm falling back into it again.

Last night I stayed up with her watching tv until she went to bed. She read a book, no conversation. I'll try again tonight.

GAL is for you, as long as the responsibilites are still equal. Make sense?
If you GALing is leaving her to do everything...then, well that isn't exactly fair. No MLC is not fair, but do not take advantage of it. Remember you want to be an example of consitency and stability, what she is missing, not what she wants to get away from.

That makes perfect sense. Before she stopped going out cold turkey about 3 weeks ago, it was pretty balanced. Now I've cut back on being gone, Bible study one night, hunt or go out one night. I also try to take the boys out to do something at least one evening or weekend morning.

Are you competing with her over the attention of the children? I speak from experience when I say I compared myself to my wife and yes to some degree there was a competition. I toned it down a little but kept having fun while still maintaining discipline with my boys. Be careful. Be very careful, it is an easy trap to fall into using our children as tools in this.

There is some of this competition, but it is mostly from her. Previously we've had pretty well defined roles with the boys, with some crossover. Lately, I feel like she's been competing with me to show she's a good mom, or to try to "win them over to her more." For example, I usually am the one who picks them up if they get hurt or emotional. Recently, she will interfere while I am dealing with it. This is something we rarely did to each other before. It's wierd too, because she sounds fake when she is doing it, like that aunt you could tell really didn't like kids, asking what's wrong. She doesn't sound like that when she is comforting them, just when she is interrupting me. Wierd.

I am already pretty close to them, but maybe I'm being different by being more patient and sensitive to them since I think S6 is starting to have trouble with the sit. (I still maintain discipline, but I have been trying to give more latitude for acting out.) Perhaps that is making her feel that I am being competitive.

Good heads up, I need to keep an eye on this. It's what started the "argument" last week.

Do you want to be alone or would you like some company?
Do you want to play backgammon? (insert game she likes)

Open a door, a small door. But expect nothing. Keep it light, watch one of her shows with her.

I like this, we did a little of this a few weeks ago, like renting movies, but it has slacked off. I need to gently start back up on my end.

I do have a question.
Did/does you wife ever feel left out because of your brotherhood with your buddies? Has she ever felt slighted or second best to them?

Oh boy, this might be a 2x4 moment.

I don't know. I never even considered the question.

I truly don't know. She has never indicated that she has felt that way or even broached the topic.

We've been pretty far geographically for them for the last 7 years, rare visits, phone calls, etc. Before that we did see them regularly.

But she definately knows how tight we are.

She doesn't have friends like that, in fact not too many friends at all. She has always seemed to have trouble making friends. Often, only with the wives of my friends.

Wow, you sure can make me think.

Thanks bro.