When She Won't Laugh at Your Jokes Anymore, Is she Cheating?
I wondered this as I listened to a woman describe her relationship with her husband. She was interesting to me because I know her and her husband and I have heard both sides of the story. I’m not the peacemaker, but they’re cool people and if they want to talk about it I’ll listen. Anyway, I thought they should just go to a counselor, but she isn’t interested. She is hurt as far as I can see. Her husband made her feel like she wasn’t as important to him as she was when they met. She started to look at him more critically over the years and seems to have decided that he is a good man, a good father, but she doesn’t want to “be” with him emotionally anymore. I’m sure there are things I don’t know, and some things I can’t tell in this forum, but I’m not getting it.
His story is that he loves her dearly (as far as I know, he hasn’t cheated or anything like that…) and wants to be married and wants to be “in love” with her (and she with him). He views some of the difficulties they’ve had as just “life,” growing up making mistakes, etc. He doesn’t understand why she has severed the emotional connection. On the surface they look great, beautiful couple; respectful, smart, and beautiful kids, great house, great jobs, etc. If I didn’t know, I mean, if they hadn’t shared with me I would never believe they have this kind of deep problem between them.
It worries me. On the selfish side, I wonder about women, mostly my wife. What makes them cheat? I thought that we would always be “in love.” I know that sometimes there are things going on that distract me (and her, I’m sure) from wanting intimacy, or being affectionate, or being emotionally close (definitely more her than me…smile). The story makes me believe that it has to be something really big between them to make her pull back on her emotional connection.
What makes people do that? I keep thinking that it is abuse or cheating or something really, really big. What else could it be? Help me understand because she is talking of raising their kids (teens…) and then taking a break from their marriage. He is hurt and getting angry that he can’t make her laugh anymore. Talking him through frustration is sapping the fun out of our “guy time…” Sometimes he seems a little more flirty than he used to be when we’re out… So, like I said, I’m getting a little worried. It’s making me watch my wife a little more closely, too.
Any answer for what may be happening with them?
Hi Rob I believe what is happening is your friend's wife is not feeling the love like she once felt and shared with her husband, from a woman's point of view "WE" become emotionally disconnected whenever, we are ignore or abuse verbally or physically and sometimes when we are treated with a lack of respect. As women we do not only want feel that we are needed only for s*xual pleasure or gratification, some men thinks that the only time to show affection with their significant other is whenever, they want to engage in s*x. Your friend's wife admit that her husband is a great provider,good father,protector.... she is probably feeling that he is not the guy she fell in love with. Just to share my thoughts on this ladies, please realise that no one remains the same, over time people "CHANGE" change is inevitable, and what I have come to realise is that during dating we meaning both male and female alike ware mask or put on a facade so the true colors of that person is not seen not until that person drops act therefore, when truth is reveal we aren't able to handle it, so we look for things and other people to met those other needs. Thats why people cheat! there also other reason too. Rob your friend's wife wants the lover, the guy who was romantic when they frist met. Over time your friend's wife have become isolated and withdrawn because she is not getting the attention that she so desire to have from her "MAN" again he can meet her every need but the primary one which is to FEEL LOVE and SPECIAL is not being met. Please remember we are human beings with emotional, physical and spritual needs that we really want our men to met, but listen ladies he will not be able to meet all our needs, some need only CHRIST while our men try to meet the others. Males have their own needs to ladies that they are expecting us to meet but remember only some of their needs too we can meet. The intimacy that your friend's wife use to feel is possible what is missing and she migh not have communicated that to her husband. (Again ladies men don't read minds neither do we!) I can not emphasize enough that communication is the KEY to ALL our relationships. Guess I could go on and speak about the biopsychosocialspritual factors that could be affecting this relationship to elaborate a little on the BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL-SPRITUAL factors meaning as human beings we are made up of BODY,SOUL AND SPRIT therefore, in some cases for women we tend to go through a lot of biological changes in our bodies especially as we age or have our monthly menstrual cycle, we have different moon swing and alot of hormone changes that is taking place in our bodies guys! that sometimes if we don't tell/talk about you really would not know what happening with us, so LADIES its good to talk about what you are feeling....especially as you go through PMS- PRE-MENSTRUAL SYNDROME. TALK TALK!! I will share about the PSYCHO! guys don't get any ideas this word does not mean that we are "PSYCHOPATH" its more about our cognitive behaviour and mental processes, how we process things differently from men. I will share more about this in my next post.