I'm learning to validate. I didn't realize this is what I was missing in our convo. I thought that by listening really meant just shut up and listen. All that crap... just brutal. I can't stop myself from shedding a tear. If not in front of him, i hide in the bathroom. You are correct about the listening part though. He needs more empathy from me and this is the hardest thing for me to do. I don't know why but I find it a task to put myself in his shoes when he's berating me. Something about hearing a man whine and complain just turns me off.
