Everything started to change when I finally stopped reacting... and started paying attention.
Then came one of the most important realisations.
I began paying attention. Not just to what we argued about, but to what happened before, during and after the difficult moments. And I started noticing a pattern.
When I felt disconnected, I became more likely to reach for connection from a place of pain. I wasn’t simply saying, “I would love to spend time with you.” Sometimes what I was really communicating was, “Why don’t you ever make time for me?”
And while the first sentence is an invitation, the second can sound like an accusation.
He would react to the criticism he heard. I would react to the rejection I felt. He would withdraw. I would push harder. And there we were. Again. The same cycle. Different day. Same ending.