When I bring up wanting time alone, my commute gets longer.
I want to agree on some alone time with my spouse, but on the subway to work, I keep replaying last night’s conversation.
Scenes
- Last night’s conversation follows me on my commute. — After telling my spouse I wanted some time alone, I couldn’t find the next words, so I just stared out the subway window.
- I froze at “How long?” — My spouse asked, “How much time alone do you want?” I couldn’t say how long, so I put off answering.
- If you only set the time, they’ll ask again — When couples set aside time alone, they also need to decide when they’ll talk again.
- Start by setting a time to talk again — Try saying, “Let’s talk again Saturday evening.” You can each think about how much time alone you need before then.
- An agreement starts with a promise to sit down again — You and your spouse may still want different amounts of time to rest, but choosing a day to talk again keeps the conversation going.
Stories by Cheongun
- Cheongun
- Before turning the calendar page
- On payday, Dad asked me to pass that along
- At the light, I think of what I want to say to my family.
- At lunch, I want to choose my child’s career path for them.
- When I step out after washing and stand before the mirror, the comparisons in my family come back to me.
- After the meeting, the plans and the spur-of-the-moment ideas clash again.
- When we get home from work, the first thing we talk about at the door is caring for our parents.
- As we left the exam room, Mom asked first.