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Hi V,
I have no doubt he still loves you. It just when stress reaches certain levels, our coping mechanisms take over. His coping mechanism is to pull away and that is stronger than the love he would have for you. He wouldn’t have access to those feelings right now. It sounds like you know how to manage him really well though. If that is the kind of the relationship you want, then it’s going to take a ton of patience. He will come back around eventually when all of this blows over.
This really is about you. There hasn’t been anything “wrong” that has happened to cause this kind of disconnect between you guys, yet this is the kind of choice he is making. You are really seeing the deeper parts of who he is and what will always be there and what you will always have to “manage.” You will most likely always be the one who fights for the relationship trying to pull him back in, while he will always be the one to run and disconnect if things get too difficult. Even in your regular conversations, he isn’t present with you – he is always doing something else and sharing very little about himself. This is how he is choosing to cope with stress. All of this means you are going to need an incredible amount of patience and you are going to need to put your needs aside and make his needs more important. That is how he lives his life – where his needs are more important than yours. So if you want to fight for him, that is what you will need to agree to.
Have you ever used the app Marco Polo? I’m wondering if that would be a good way for you guys to connect, beyond the phone or instead of the phone sometimes. It’s just video, but you leaving messages back and forth to each other. It’s uncomfortable at first, but then you just get used to it. I LOVE this app, because I can talk as long as I want and just share what I’m looking at on a hike, I can cry, I can share thoughts when I have them and vice versa. I will listen to my friend’s messages whenever I have time. It would even be fun if you sent him a good morning and good night message and leave is short and sweet. This way, you guys get to see each other. I have one particular friend who talks a TON when we get on the phone and it’s hard for me to get a word in. But over the Marco Polo app, I get to talk as much as I want and it allows her to get to know me, because she can’t interrupt. lol. So it works out great. Give it a try! I think it might help bring you guys closer together.
If that doesn’t interest you, then I would suggest to pull back a little. If you become a little less available for him, I have a feeling he might start to appreciate you more and what you have to offer. Is that something you are willing to do?
Heidi
Hi Tina,
I want to support what Kanya suggested. I think now would be the best time to just give him some space. I imagine your reaching out and proclaiming that you “need” him, made him want to take a step back, as everyone is needing him right now. People are exhausted right now and more in survival mode. Your confusion about the relationship is valid, but now is not the time to talk about it and try to get answers from him. He is not open to that right now. So what if you said something like, “Listen…I’m sorry for my reactions. I know you are stressed right now and exhausted and I know I just added to that. I’m taking a step back. I would love to re-connect and just support you in whatever way that is helpful…no relationship talk.”
Do you think he might respond to something like that?
Heidi
Hi V,
Thank you for more details. It is helpful.
It sounds like he relies quite a bit on you to help him through his emotions. You said you would stay calm and he would get angry during “arguments.” You said that he was upset with you that you didn’t motivate him to be active. You said he got tired of dealing with how you were feeling and so he decided to pull away and just take care of himself. From what you are saying, it sounds like if you have any troubles at all, he just doesn’t know how to handle it. Would you agree with this? Would you say that he really depends on you to help make HIS life better and feel okay?
It sounds like you may be learning that he is not a good support for you when you need it. What is happening in the world right now, can really expose fears and anxieties and how they handle it. So it sounds like you are seeing a brand new side to him. He is in a lot of fear and that fear is so big, it puts him in survival mode…which means he doesn’t have much to offer you. When someone is in survival mode, they have no capacity to try to help anyone but themselves.
I wonder if you called and just talked with him, validating his fear and stress. Many times, that’s all someone needs and then they are able to offer something back. So you could say something like, “I just want you to know that I’m sorry for all the stress you are feeling. I know how scary this time is. I know how much care. I’m sorry to have added to your stress. It’s the last thing I want. Can we just have a conversation and talk? Let’s just talk about the stress right now. Forget about our relationship. Let’s rely on our friendship. I’d like to see how I can help support you, if possible.” So by offering support, validation and a listening ear, it can open his heart to want to offer you the same in return. If he doesn’t offer the same in return, then this is important information you need to know about him. If he is not willing to even talk as friends, giving him time and space is probably the best option then. Give it a few weeks where you take care of yourself and then maybe reach out again.
Thoughts?
Heidi
Hey there,
You know more of CO than I do! lol. I live near Boulder. I float a lot between Denver and Boulder, depending on what I have going on. I’ve explored Colorado Springs a bit, but haven’t been to Grand Junction. The hot springs in Glendwood are pretty famous, but haven’t made it there yet. There is sooooo much to explore here!!! I love living here! I definitely feel a HUGE amount of gratitude to be “stuck” in a place like this 🙂
I imagine if you contact OurTime immediately and ask them to shut payment off, they can do it manually for you and even refund the most recent amount they charged you. I personally would not tolerate whatever is happening. That is hard earned money that is being taken from you.
What are you doing to manage your emotions, besides doing things externally. Everything you listed is great. It’s keeping you connected and active. What about what you are doing internally for yourself? Journaling, Tapping, meditating, reading new books that nourish your soul etc. Those kinds of things are super important so you can keep that energy of high frustration down to a minimum instead of it getting stuck inside with no outlet. You need to provide and outlet for it.
I’m not sure if I understood correctly about you emailing your friend. You wanted your friend to pass along your email address to his friends so you can connect? Are you wanting to connect just to start conversations and get to know new people? I’m not sure of the purpose and why you are wanting to reach out to this particular friend for that. My instinct is to be cautious with that. It absolutely can come off as desperate. I’m not saying no to the idea, I would just be careful as to how you present it to your friend and be very CLEAR as to what you are wanting to get out of it. Just something to think about.
Let us know how your levee trip went!
Heidi
Hi Vino,
Haven’t heard from you in awhile. I wanted to see how you are doing and handling all these changes in the world. How are your kids handling it? Any new guys you are talking with? Now, meeting in person is impossible, so becoming pen pals and talking on the phone or over video are the only options. It’s interesting how this is affecting the dating world.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Heidi
Hi Li,
There is always a strange transition going from dating to friends. People say they want to stay friends all the time, but to actually transition into that can be a bit tricky. It takes work, it takes patience and it takes trust to believe it can actually happen without anyone’s feelings getting hurt. It can be difficult for men and women to be just friends.
Considering his schedule and what he has said to you so far, I wouldn’t have high hope for maintaining much other than occasional interaction. He should save his spare time for his good friends and the rest is spent studying. I’m not sure why he is even trying to date right now, being that he has so little time – unless he is just getting his sexual needs met and not expecting much more – I don’t know. What it seems like though, is he doesn’t have the capacity to build a new friendship. Again, I think occasional contact would be fine, but I wouldn’t expect much from him.
How does this make you feel? Do you sense the same thing?
Heidi
Hey there!
I just wanted to check in. How are you are doing? How are you feeling? Is everything stabilizing for you, or are you still kind of going up and down? Any progress on your non-negotiable list?
Heidi
I used to live in TN before here, but now I am in Colorado. I’m pretty sure this is my forever home now 🙂
If I were a photographer, I would be a wildlife one too. I’ve been HOURS just hanging out in Thomas Mangelson galleries, just imagining his surroundings and getting lost in the beauty and wonder of nature. I just found out last week, that one of my clients used to be good friends with him! lol. I totally get how you feel though. Nature and animals can take us out of our reality so quickly and connect us to beauty, awe and God. It’s such an effortless connection isn’t it? What a gift they are.
I understand how difficult this time is for you, as the basic way you get your needs met to stay balanced is not available to you. It’s time to get creative. That energy of feeling like a caged wolf can turn toxic on you. You want to find other ways to help you manage this phase of your life. Your life has become handicapped, so what CAN you do to adjust and still meet your needs? What are some of your ideas? Let’s brainstorm here…
Heidi
Hi Kandas,
Welcome to the forum. This is a really good question. I know how scary it can be to have someone go missing and have no clue where they are. I’m sure he had ways to be able to contact you, even if he lost his phone. I imagine he could have found a way to email you or call you from a phone he could have borrowed. It’s a strange story. I don’t understand why he would have plans to go fishing when you were in town visiting. And why would he not tell you that’s where he was going? I might be misunderstanding the story.
Would you mind sharing more details? I am wondering why you automatically are assuming that he is lying. Has he done this in the past? Is it possible that he truly lost his phone? If you believe he is lying and didn’t lose his phone, are you suspecting that he is cheating? Is there anything he has communicated to you about that would make you think he might not be happy in the relationship?
Tell me more about your relationship. Do you like how your relationship functions? How long have you been together? How often do you get to see each other? Being that it’s a long distance kind of relationship, do you guys plan on moving to the same city at some point?
Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Heidi
OMG!!! A few weeks at a sandy beach sound sooooo spectacular! I miss the beach. I grew up near one and I miss the smell and the sound. I live in the mountains, but beach vacations are something I never thought I would dream about…lol. I would pick the mountains over the ocean though. How about you?
YES! Mother nature did need a break. It’s amazing the impact just by taking a one month break. Wow! Thank you for sharing those things. It made me smile!
My hope is, these new patterns of all of us having to slow down, stay at home, connect more with our families is something that will reset us permanently.
I’m glad you have joined the Facebook group. I know many people who agree about Facebook, but it might be worth it for right now to just join and meet new people to give you a little life force energy.
Pictures of wild horses sounds AMAZING!!! Have you ever done that??? Gone out and searched for wild horses?? I never have, but I imagine it would be a magical experience.
Heidi
I get it. Maybe if you talk with him and let him know you actually are interested in being friends and not just saying that. You can suggest maybe meeting up once a month and doing something fun. You could say something like, “I really like you as a person and truly would love to still be friends. There are all kinds of restaurants and museums around that I have never been to. Maybe once a month we can meet up somewhere new and just do something different. Just a thought.”
I’ve dated a med student before and it was hard. He barely had any time. I got to connect with him for short 20 minute intervals here and there and occasionally we were able to stay a full night together. So I would keep your expectations, even about friendship, very low right now. I’m not sure what year he is in, but it just gets worse as time goes on.
Tell us what you like about him that would make you want to continue the friendship?
Heidi
Hi Rhonda,
Some of how I am looking at this, is using people who have become handicapped in one way or another. They went from having a normal, active life, to all of a sudden losing their body in some sort of way. If they can figure out how to re-adjust their thinking and figure out how to meet their needs after losing their ability to be physically active in the world, then I can too! We have all been handicapped in one way or another right now.
So if you all of a sudden became paralyzed and were not able to go on hikes anymore, what can you do to get your needs met? I know this may be a weird approach, but reality is, you don’t have the environment you need to nourish your soul right now. So what can you do instead?? Keep fighting for your life Rhonda, on a deep level. Feeling numb and robotic IS NOT the way to live. You have so much inside of you that is worth feeling and experiencing!!! Your job is to find the ultimate joy, peace and happiness with whatever life has handed you. You are so much more than being numb!!
Heidi
Hi Sarah,
This is a great question!
Yes, age does matter sometimes. I think the older you get, the less it matters. He is still so very young. You have already gone through some very adult experiences in your life which creates a pretty big barrier in maturity levels. He is still 25, figuring out what he wants. You already were married and had 3 kids. BIG DIFFERENCE! He is young enough to even be naive in trying to plan his life out as to when he wants a serious relationship and children.
Being with you in a relationship means he would instantly have to deal with children. He is not ready for that. It sounds like he is just in the very normal phase of life where he is still learning about himself. The 20s are such a developmental period of time. He hasn’t even moved out of his parent’s house yet, which is a HUGE step in becoming more mature and more of an adult. As much as you both get along really well and as much as you both have a great connection, the difference in maturity levels and life experience can definitely be a challenge. When I was in my 30s, I dated a guy 15 years younger and to this day, it was the very best relationship I had ever had. It was the most amazing connection, we had so much fun together and our love ran deep while it lasted. The ENTIRE TIME I knew our age difference would get in the way. I knew there was an ending at some point, because we were just too different. When he would come hang out with my friends, he didn’t quite fit and when I would hang out with his friends, I didn’t fit either. We both dealt with it, but differences in life experience and mindset that existed because of our age difference, eventually is what caused us to separate.
So first, I want to encourage you to slow down. You have only known him for a few months, so putting him that category of “man of my dreams” is really a fast track to disappointment. He doesn’t even know who he is yet out in the real world, as an adult who 100% takes care of himself. That’s a HUGE step in development for a person. You barely know him. You don’t know what he is like when he is angry. You don’t know what he is like around your children, you don’t know what he is like when he is sick and not feeling well, you don’t know what he is like when you have really hurt his feeling or what his negative patterns are. There is so much you don’t know about him and soooo much he doesn’t even know about himself yet. So I like the idea of just hanging out and being friends. I would recommend for you to continue going on other dates and finding someone who is better able to meet you where you are at in life. This guy has a lot of growing up to do still.
I know this is not what you want to hear and I KNOW how deeply painful it is at the idea of letting him go. I have already gone through letting go of the best connection I ever had. My ex set a new standard for me though. I now know it’s possible, I now know I will accept nothing less than how I felt with him and I know I can find it again.
thoughts?
Heidi
Maybe it’s time to talk about what happened sooner than later. I’m not sure why you want to wait when it could be the reason why you feel this strain on the relationship. Set up a time to hang out together and make sure you talk about it and then see if it helps shift the energy between you guys.
Or…you can keep waiting. Maybe you can try saying something like, “I miss seeing you…how about I make us a delicious dinner followed by a seriously good foot rub.”
Is this possible to do? I’m not sure where you are and whether or not you are ordered to stay in doors now or not.
Heidi
