July 24

”All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a simple lovely action.” James Russell Lowell

Through my separation with my spouse one of the challenges has been not only staying connected physically, emotionally and spiritually, but also in reconnecting to those aspects which were damaged by my acting out. This has probably been most apparent in our intimate connections, communication, sharing of feelings and of course physical intimacy. I have never been a great communicator, especially when I need to share my feelings. I have always been better at writing things down in a letter or email…but it is less personal and can easily be misinterpreted. A new method I am trying is to still write down what I need to share, but to read it aloud, in person or over the phone, so I can get and give feedback. While living apart, physical intimacy has certainly been more difficult to incorporate into our relationship. Yet this time has helped me gain awareness of the things that I truly miss. In being absent I know all the little routine things that I find lacking like hugs, cuddling, back rubs, sitting together in front of the TV…and all the small idiosyncrasies that remind me of my spouse and why I cherish them.

Affirmation I believe that absence can make the heart grow fonder and I know my actions in treating my spouse with love and respect will speak volumes.