Anonymous wrote:I think my DH loves me, but not quite sure he is/was ever in love. He is a great father and husband, but never seemed to be particularly wild about me. He gives fantastic gifts, but it's clear it's more of a duty he is fulfilling.
I don't know how else to say it- just something I sense.
Anonymous wrote:I show her that I love her by giving her every drop of my love.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What happened to this thread?
Jeff deleted half of it after some unmediated posters attacked.
Who did they attack? If it was me, I'm pissed if I missed it.
I'm not sure why it was deleted. Someone said that what posters were describing (being partners / a family / etc) sounded like practicality rather than love, and others disagreed.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think my DH loves me, but not quite sure he is/was ever in love. He is a great father and husband, but never seemed to be particularly wild about me. He gives fantastic gifts, but it's clear it's more of a duty he is fulfilling.
I don't know how else to say it- just something I sense.
DH here. This is me. I love my wife, and I care about her, but I'm not in love with her.
I realize that for some of you this makes no sense, but we've been together for over half of our lives, and maybe there was a time when I felt this way, but the reality is, I'm not now, and haven't been for a very, very long time. We do all the couple things, we're always on the same page with the kids, finances, etc. Our marriage is a successful enterprise, but over time it's become painfully obvious how different we are. I don't miss her when she's gone. And sex? Obligatory, disconnected.
I want her to be happy, because she's a good person and deserves to be happy, so I do all of the things that have been said here that make the other DWs feel that their husbands are in love with them. All of these gestures - they're thoughtful, and loving, and they certainly are symptoms of a happy, healthy marriage, but for me, it's just going through the motions. Not because I don't love and care for her, but because I feel obligated to do what I need to do to sustain the marriage, to keep things "happy."
But inside I am dying (probably literally) for something more, to feel in love, and for me that's a genuine connection, a kind of emotional chemistry that is utterly absent from our relationship. I've felt this way for years, and every day is a struggle to try to feel happy, to want what I've got, but I don't, and I feel trapped, because when all's said and done, we've built a life together, and I can't bear to think of what it would mean for our family if I were to move on.
So every day is a struggle to come to terms with this. You make it work. Because that's what you do. Just make it work.
Hang in there, DH. I hope you find some happiness somewhere. I think this is what people were reacting to yesterday with the "he wishes to be faithful" poster. There's a difference between being a stand-up guy and really being in love.
it's possible to be both though. i'm not trying to argue but rather saying that for some men, especially those from a strong and connected family, finding "their person," the person they want to build a life with, IS love for them. hard to explain if you've never experienced it.
Anonymous wrote:He calls to say he's coming home, and can he pick anything up.
When I run out of something mid bake, he goes out and gets it.
He buys me flowers when he sees them and he remembers the kind I don't like and doesn't but them.
He is thoughtful and gets me the ice cream I like
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think my DH loves me, but not quite sure he is/was ever in love. He is a great father and husband, but never seemed to be particularly wild about me. He gives fantastic gifts, but it's clear it's more of a duty he is fulfilling.
I don't know how else to say it- just something I sense.
DH here. This is me. I love my wife, and I care about her, but I'm not in love with her.
I realize that for some of you this makes no sense, but we've been together for over half of our lives, and maybe there was a time when I felt this way, but the reality is, I'm not now, and haven't been for a very, very long time. We do all the couple things, we're always on the same page with the kids, finances, etc. Our marriage is a successful enterprise, but over time it's become painfully obvious how different we are. I don't miss her when she's gone. And sex? Obligatory, disconnected.
I want her to be happy, because she's a good person and deserves to be happy, so I do all of the things that have been said here that make the other DWs feel that their husbands are in love with them. All of these gestures - they're thoughtful, and loving, and they certainly are symptoms of a happy, healthy marriage, but for me, it's just going through the motions. Not because I don't love and care for her, but because I feel obligated to do what I need to do to sustain the marriage, to keep things "happy."
But inside I am dying (probably literally) for something more, to feel in love, and for me that's a genuine connection, a kind of emotional chemistry that is utterly absent from our relationship. I've felt this way for years, and every day is a struggle to try to feel happy, to want what I've got, but I don't, and I feel trapped, because when all's said and done, we've built a life together, and I can't bear to think of what it would mean for our family if I were to move on.
So every day is a struggle to come to terms with this. You make it work. Because that's what you do. Just make it work.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think my DH loves me, but not quite sure he is/was ever in love. He is a great father and husband, but never seemed to be particularly wild about me. He gives fantastic gifts, but it's clear it's more of a duty he is fulfilling.
I don't know how else to say it- just something I sense.
DH here. This is me. I love my wife, and I care about her, but I'm not in love with her.
I realize that for some of you this makes no sense, but we've been together for over half of our lives, and maybe there was a time when I felt this way, but the reality is, I'm not now, and haven't been for a very, very long time. We do all the couple things, we're always on the same page with the kids, finances, etc. Our marriage is a successful enterprise, but over time it's become painfully obvious how different we are. I don't miss her when she's gone. And sex? Obligatory, disconnected.
I want her to be happy, because she's a good person and deserves to be happy, so I do all of the things that have been said here that make the other DWs feel that their husbands are in love with them. All of these gestures - they're thoughtful, and loving, and they certainly are symptoms of a happy, healthy marriage, but for me, it's just going through the motions. Not because I don't love and care for her, but because I feel obligated to do what I need to do to sustain the marriage, to keep things "happy."
But inside I am dying (probably literally) for something more, to feel in love, and for me that's a genuine connection, a kind of emotional chemistry that is utterly absent from our relationship. I've felt this way for years, and every day is a struggle to try to feel happy, to want what I've got, but I don't, and I feel trapped, because when all's said and done, we've built a life together, and I can't bear to think of what it would mean for our family if I were to move on.
So every day is a struggle to come to terms with this. You make it work. Because that's what you do. Just make it work.
Hang in there, DH. I hope you find some happiness somewhere. I think this is what people were reacting to yesterday with the "he wishes to be faithful" poster. There's a difference between being a stand-up guy and really being in love.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What happened to this thread?
Jeff deleted half of it after some unmediated posters attacked.
Who did they attack? If it was me, I'm pissed if I missed it.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think my DH loves me, but not quite sure he is/was ever in love. He is a great father and husband, but never seemed to be particularly wild about me. He gives fantastic gifts, but it's clear it's more of a duty he is fulfilling.
I don't know how else to say it- just something I sense.
DH here. This is me. I love my wife, and I care about her, but I'm not in love with her.
I realize that for some of you this makes no sense, but we've been together for over half of our lives, and maybe there was a time when I felt this way, but the reality is, I'm not now, and haven't been for a very, very long time. We do all the couple things, we're always on the same page with the kids, finances, etc. Our marriage is a successful enterprise, but over time it's become painfully obvious how different we are. I don't miss her when she's gone. And sex? Obligatory, disconnected.
I want her to be happy, because she's a good person and deserves to be happy, so I do all of the things that have been said here that make the other DWs feel that their husbands are in love with them. All of these gestures - they're thoughtful, and loving, and they certainly are symptoms of a happy, healthy marriage, but for me, it's just going through the motions. Not because I don't love and care for her, but because I feel obligated to do what I need to do to sustain the marriage, to keep things "happy."
But inside I am dying (probably literally) for something more, to feel in love, and for me that's a genuine connection, a kind of emotional chemistry that is utterly absent from our relationship. I've felt this way for years, and every day is a struggle to try to feel happy, to want what I've got, but I don't, and I feel trapped, because when all's said and done, we've built a life together, and I can't bear to think of what it would mean for our family if I were to move on.
So every day is a struggle to come to terms with this. You make it work. Because that's what you do. Just make it work.
Anonymous wrote:I think my DH loves me, but not quite sure he is/was ever in love. He is a great father and husband, but never seemed to be particularly wild about me. He gives fantastic gifts, but it's clear it's more of a duty he is fulfilling.
I don't know how else to say it- just something I sense.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What happened to this thread?
Jeff deleted half of it after some unmediated posters attacked.
Who did they attack? If it was me, I'm pissed if I missed it.
Each other. It wasn't too exciting, half of it didn't make any sense.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What happened to this thread?
Jeff deleted half of it after some unmediated posters attacked.
Who did they attack? If it was me, I'm pissed if I missed it.