Rip, I saw BOTH of those sides in my marriage. The more I read about codependency the more I realized just how deep my emotional enmeshment with wife was destroying who I was and my self worth.
I like the sound that you don't Need her anymore, but it sounds like there is that hole in your heart that needs to be filled. What steps have you been raking with your self esteem? I read you've been going out and GALing which is great!!!!!
What else have you been doing to show yourself that you are worth loving, that you can be a happy dude without a companion by your side.
There are a ton of books, articles, etc. In improving self esteem. I cringed so hard when I started reading them...hokey $hit is all I could think.
Well I started a couple of things...started listing positive things I did everyday and then you can go back and read how awesome you are. Second one and this was big...start a love affair with yourself. Start to treat yourself to things you never felt right doing, start showing yourself that You are Worth the effort of going out of the way for you.
I would bet you would have driven all over town to pick up a couple of things for wife or kids if she hinted she wanted them....but for you, would you have just gone without rather than going through the hassle. I know I treated myself with such disregard for so long, that it is quite sad really.
Start really loving yourself, you are worth it...paging Stuart Smalley
