"Because he was unsure if he could make her feel better, he held back. We all put our guard up and hold back from time to time, particularly when we feel threatened or insecure. If we can't predict what we share as being one hundred percent accepted by our partner, then more often than not, we choose to retreat. We choose to hold back and not risk it. In Peter's case, he felt that by sharing himself it would have made him more vulnerable to Sarah. Not understanding this, Sarah thought of him as insensitive when, in truth, he might have been as doubtful and worried as she was. Rather than sharing her fears and/or expressing her hurts, she attacked - labeling Peter many hurtful names in an attempt at trying to force him to give in to her. Because he worried he might be further attacked that his efforts were going unnoticed, as feeble as they were, he withdrew and gave up trying to comfort her, feeling unappreciated and seething with resentment. Why should he try to comfort someone who didn't acknowledge his efforts? Sarah hadn't noticed he might have been struggling with being affectionate with her. Peter was unsure if she would see his attempts for what they were - feeling unsure that he could make a difference in her well-being, and whether his words of encouragement would be welcomed no matter how poorly he expressed himself. Can anyone of us freely share who we are when we feel our partners may be constantly frustrated with us, their parents, themselves, others or the world?"
From the book "From Hurt to Happiness" by Mike Van
May you choose to always express yourself fully; with love (especially if you are hurting). May you choose to stay open for others to express themselves fully; with love. Ohhhh scary and
beautiful.
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