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My Boyfriend Is More Emotionally Available Than Husband Was
It makes it easier for us to resolve differences
Just to be clear — this is not me bashing my ex-husband. We were both emotionally immature when we got married. And while there were some tough times, misunderstandings, and lack of emotional support, at the same time — he gave 100% when I got cancer. I will always be grateful to him for that, and for his inviting my mother to live with us when she was in an abusive situation.
However… I was often lonely in the marriage.
Part of it was that my ex and I did not communicate well.
This is something my boyfriend and I do better.
For example, he has a tendency to interrupt because he thinks he knows how I’m going to finish a sentence. My ex did that sometimes too.
The difference? When I called my ex on it, he got upset because I was criticizing him. So instead of addressing the behavior and modifying it, he and I got into arguments. I felt I had to walk on eggshells.
This often made me feel emotionally isolated and lonely in the marriage. Because I am an independent person, I was able to cope with it but the lack of real intimacy hurt the marriage.
