There is so much I could post yet not much to tell ye all.
I realised lately that I had gotten TOO comfortable with my current situation. I had slackened off on preparing myself to be able to move on if required. Mentally I could but the practical stuff, not so much.
I told myself that I have time. Then recently I got that "fukc this shite" feeling. I haven't had it in a while but I have slowly gotten back there. Whenever that happens, I remember cadets question to many nrwbies as to what that would look like. Early on it was important to have an answer to that to be sure it is a DB way (not cold, resentful, hardened or vengeful).
But now I am relatively in control of such moods and furthermore as regards to W, it will look like what it looks like and that is that. I am not flippant about it but it will be about me not her.
What brought this on was a weekend away and I just didn't like this pretend happy families thing. I just questioned whether accepting this situation without a word was the right thing to do. I wanted to say that it doesn't suit me anymore. But I drank my STFU smoothy.
I was so worked up I didn't feel like going away this weekend as planned.W had wanted to go for longer than I can so I told her she should go without me. It is to her sister's so v doable on her own with the kids. Long story short she preferred to wait for me so we could go all together as planned. I do want to go together. It will be fun. One thing I have learned here is that there are times where what I feel like doing and what I want to do, are not always the same thing and acting on feelings/emotions is rarely in my interest.
Whereas I did not tell her to go alone with the: intent of seeing her reaction,i was interested to see what she would decide. I was looking forward to both options. Time home alone or time away in family. Whereas I will not mindread her reasons, I will admit I prefer she choose to wait for me than go without me.
Similarly there have been times where I plan to do stuff with the boys and she comes too, even when I say that I'll bring them alone if she wants to not come.
I don't understand her wanting all this together time without being really together. Anyway despite the lack of intimacy, this time allows more shared memories into our R.
I know I spoke mostly here about negative stuff. I guess I use this site to dump it here and not carry it around. But even when I have thoughts like I have had enough or I don't care if we split, it saddens me but does not cripple me like before. I feel stronger.
I also feel more in control of myself.I see certain interactions and realise that before they would have invariably gone much worse, as they don't trigger my reactions as much. Any time I get frustrated or annoyed it seems shallower and without the residual lingering negative feelings .
I can look at my W and see so much good to be grateful for and appreciate. I don't just see the negative.NNeither am I blinded by the positive. She is great but not perfect. It took this crisis to allow me realise how lucky I was to have had her in my life. This situation also allowed me rebuild my.opinion of myself. I deserve better than I have now. She does too. For now I choose to accept where we are but only as a passage towards better things. I will never, take for granted what I have and especially what woman I have. I truly hope I get to show that/prove that to my W, but regardless it is a lesson learned.
I have recently taken a step back from learning and given myself a break to just be. I will refocus on that shortly.I plan to make the most of the summer with my sons but also to put in place solid actions to improve my life.
I have decided I want to really embrace the gratitude concept further. I am thinking of buying 52 cards and over the space of a year send a written thank you to 52 people. My thinking is to start by asking who am I most grateful to and continue by the next most grateful the next time. I won't restrict myself to one a week but moreso however I want. Once a week seems like a chore. This is not a chore.
I am weaning myself back off this forum. Hence my posts are too sporadic for newbies to follow. Hairier times may lie ahead and I may need this support system like I did before but for now I have learned enough to cope without needing it. I then replaced that need with the urge to read and help newbies.I liked that but feel all the sadness and hurt here is not helpful to me at the moment. Anyway I repeat myself!!
Wow. Guess I needed to write and had more to say than planned. Thanks for reading.
R 25 years M 14 years S11 & S13 Working on it alone since Oct 2014 M in trouble a lot earlier (~2 years) Feb 2016. 1st R chat in a yr. Next R chat Aug'17 Still together