Hello! I'm a heart exploration coach, and I'm so honored to be able to offer you some advice.
From what you've written, I can really see how you've grown and changed over the past ten years of marriage. You've come so far! And now, you're in your tenth year of marriage, which is a great milestone. It's like you've taken that first step on a journey of transformation and now you're at the end of the first chapter.
I'd love to understand why you say that.
I totally get it. When you got married ten years ago, you were both still pretty young, with big dreams of a better life, longing for a relationship, and full of expectations for your family.
But at the beginning of your marriage, you two were actually living apart, right? It was only in the fifth or sixth year that you were able to return to being a complete family, which I'm sure was a wonderful moment for you both!
I can only imagine how difficult the past five or six years have been for you. During those five or six years, you felt that your husband did not treat you as a human being, did not value you, and you did not feel loved at all.
It's so hard when you feel like you and your partner are in different places and you're struggling to cherish this fleeting encounter. It's natural to feel a mix of love and hate when some of your requests and emotional feelings aren't seen by the other person.
I can imagine how angry and upset you must have felt inside. It's so understandable!
So you've been married to him for ten years, and looking back from the present, you're engaged in some great self-awareness. At that time, you felt like he didn't treat you as a human being. I'd love to know what you think "treating someone as a human being" means to you.
From my perspective, it seems like he might not fully respect you, pay much attention to you, or love you as his wife. It also seems like he might ignore you when you're feeling angry.
You were already dealing with verbal attacks and the occasional physical conflict, and then you stopped talking and things just got cold.
It's so sad when verbal attacks happen because you feel like you're not being seen. We all want someone to care about us, and you're so enthusiastic and devoted to your relationship.
I'd love to know whether you or your partner initiated the physical conflict.
If a man is the first to initiate physical violence, it can be really hurtful to feel like he doesn't care about your inner struggles or feelings for him.
At first, you may have thought that if you cried hysterically, complained, and made a big scene, he would see it and come to hug and comfort you.
Over time, your heart gradually grew cold.
Before, you kept thinking that you should maintain the relationship well and live happily with him. After all, you had a child together, didn't you? You didn't want your little one to sense your bad feelings, and you were so proud of your family!
You've thought about this relationship so much, but it's been a bit of a letdown, hasn't it?
So after that, your inner state is not very willing to continue arguing with him, and it becomes a cold war. After you have survived these silent and audible wars of the cold war, you gradually become particularly disappointed in your marriage.
And you don't have many expectations for your children's development, which is totally understandable!
You were so tired and desperate, sweetheart. You had worked so hard for five or six years to hold on to the relationship and never wanted to let go of your husband. There were so many reasons, like the distance or the pressure he was under, that you tried to understand and accommodate him as much as possible.
But you find that this is not quite right, and gradually you lose hope. Don't worry, though! This is totally normal. You just need to devote more and more time to yourself. You begin to become self-aware, self-awake, and self-growing.
Afterwards, you'll be amazed to find that the tables have turned! Instead of feeling like your husband didn't treat you as a person, you'll feel like he's treating you like a person.
You're feeling like you've returned to yourself, but it seems like he's having a bit of a problem with me. I'm not sure what's going on!
And he might even start an argument, as if the two of you have reversed roles.
So, after taking a closer look at this, we can see that your current growth is actually a positive thing. In the past, you were completely devoted to your husband, and you even gradually became more and more subservient.
Then your husband will feel so secure and safe with you because he'll have someone to talk to every day, or someone who cares about him. He'll feel like your relationship is very secure, that you'll never betray him, and that you're so loyal.
Now that you've returned to your inner self, your husband might feel a little ignored.
You're not ignoring him, sweetheart. You're just saying that you also hope to have more time to return to yourself and not forget to love yourself. In the past, you lost yourself, but from his perspective, he will feel that your personal growth and independence are gradually loosening this sense of security in his heart.
At this time, he felt a bit panicked. He wondered why, before you were so calm, you were now so hysterical. He felt fear and panic inside, so he took the initiative to argue with you.
It's just to make sure you still care about him and that there's been no change in your relationship. I know you must feel really powerless inside about your husband's behaviour.
You have such lovely memories of your husband from when you first got married.
It's so hard when you always want to argue with him but he ignores you. It can make you feel really powerless, and now he's feeling that way too.
You were the first to wake up in this relationship, and we can use this incident to explain it to him.
If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be this: you can tell him how you felt in the first five or six years of your marriage. You can tell him how much you wanted him to see you and care about you.
But you tried again and again, and it just wasn't working out the way you wanted it to. And at that time, you also lost yourself and kept looking outside for answers.
Once you've woken up, you've made some personal growth a priority. Your husband has probably picked up on this, and he might be feeling a bit insecure. This is something you've both been through before, so you can help him feel a little more powerful by sharing your experience.
This way, he can really understand what you're going through.
You should also let him know that you both went through this process at the same time, and it was really tough. You both wanted it to work, but it didn't.
You can tell him how you have made up in the past few years. You can explain to him the reasons for your current state, and that you and he are two independent individuals who need to be respected and seen for who they are, rather than being prevented from being humble and inferior.
It's so great that you're bringing this up! It's the perfect time for you to repair your relationship.
I hope my answers to your two questions have given you some food for thought. As for your second question, how to deal with arguments between couples, I think it's important to remember that arguments aren't necessarily a bad thing. It's always worth trying to understand why they happen in the first place.
And you can even learn about the five languages of love!
For example, some people want to be seen, some want gifts, and some want more physical contact. There are five languages, and we just need to identify what the other person wants!
You two are now on a pretty equal playing field, so you can really grow together. You can also share your experiences with him.
If he now realizes the importance of you, then let's consider the tenth year of your marriage as a brand new next stage and a good starting point!
I truly believe that in the next 20 or 30 years, there will be more room for growth. With your help, your husband and children will be able to get back on the right track. This will make you feel freer inside and let them feel more love. This way, your family of three can be more complete, and the energy of love can flow.
Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions you may have about my answers above or if there's anything you don't quite understand.
Then you are more than welcome to organize your thoughts, click on my personal homepage, and ask me questions. I will be more than happy to help you analyze the situation more specifically so that your little home can enter that state you want sooner.
I'll be waiting for your reply and sending you all my best wishes!
Comments
It's interesting how over the years our roles have almost reversed. Initially, I felt unheard and undervalued, leading me to seek validation through arguments that he would always evade. Now it seems like he's the one seeking confrontation while I've grown more reflective and less inclined to engage in such disputes. This shift makes me wonder if all couples go through similar patterns of miscommunication and evolving dynamics.
Arguments often stem from unmet needs or feelings of neglect within a relationship. In our case, it seems like both of us have experienced these feelings at different times, which has led to conflicts. Maybe we were both trying to express our frustrations in the only way we knew how, even if it wasn't the most constructive.
Looking back, I think it's important to acknowledge that arguments are not inherently bad; they can be opportunities for growth if approached with understanding and empathy. Our frequent arguing may reflect deeper issues that need addressing, but it also shows there's still passion and care left to fight for what we believe is right for our family.
The transformation in our argument pattern could be a sign of personal development on both sides. I've learned to channel my energy into selfimprovement rather than conflict, while perhaps my husband now feels more secure to voice his concerns directly. It's a complex interplay of emotions and growth.
In any longterm relationship, changes in behavior and perspective are inevitable. What matters is how we adapt to these changes together. Arguments can highlight areas where we need to grow as individuals and as a couple. Instead of viewing them negatively, maybe we should see them as part of our journey toward becoming better partners and people.