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Dream OR Reality?

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  • #205391
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Good afternoon Everyone 🙂

    This is my story.

    My ex’s aunt introduced us to each other in March 2016. She had been asking me to meet her nephew since December 2015 until she pulled her last resort and went straight to my boss and asked him to talk to me about it.

    We finally met and a month later in April 2016, he sent me a text and  things just started from there. May 2016 was our first date and a week later we were an item. At first things were okay until the fights began. He got angry at everything. Our calls were mostly fighting and him repeatedly asking me for reassurances that I was his and only his, if the things I told him about my past were true or was I just filling him up with lies and deceit. It came to a point where I was not bothered by it because he needed it.

    We connected on a crazy level. Our souls connected. We didn’t need sex to excite our relationship. Our conversations and just being in each other’s presence was enough for us. There was no paying attention to outside people. We fulfilled each other. 2016 was a rocky year though. We fought a lot but 2017 came and we were happy. Things between us had calmed down a lot and we decided to get married the very same year. We couldn’t wait to be together and start our lives as one.

    A month before the wedding things started going wrong. Our families became very involved and opinionated . My family got really upset and said a lot of things. I was honest with my ex and told him everything what they said believing he would be understanding to the situation because throughout our relationship whenever he was upset, he told me a lot of hurtful things but I understood that it was the anger talking. But unfortunately he did not understand and his dad said something about me which he believed. It shocked me because no matter what my family had to say about him, I stood up for him and I never changed my decision on being with him but it was so easy for him to do it. I started having panic attacks and that’s when I started popping sedatives just to keep me calm. At night’s I laid awake hoping to feel a bit of self worth and peace.

    Everything was on pause because he couldn’t make up his mind on whether he wanted to get married or not. The month passed and he broke up with me over a call.

    We still kept in contact but then he wanted to have sex. I was highly confused because if he did not see me fit to be his wife, why would I be fit to be his bed buddy?

    New years day he called and we spoke for 3 hours over the phone. He suggested a sexual deal and I was up for it, Thinking that maybe it will bring us together. And we started talking about how we felt and his query to me not wanting to break up was “Why didn’t I fight for us?” That one question broke me completely because throughout our relationship, I had been the understanding one, The one always making the effort to communicate, The one cutting off anything that he did not like such as male friends, social media, cutting my hair, showing my legs, all those changes made just to prove that I love him. Whenever we fought, even though he didn’t answer my calls, I still tried to call, I texted and even emailed knowing he needed about 2-3 days to cool off.

    2 weeks later, I sent him an email telling him that I have decided to do what’s best for me and cutting off all ties from him was it.

    It has been 4 months since our break up and I have calmed down a lot. Have thought a lot too and one thing for sure is that I am still honestly inlove with him and I want to make it work. We have had our fair share of fighting and arguments. I am a sucker for romance and when it came to him, although our relationship was not filled with roses and rainbows, we had each other’s backs and the understanding was like no other and no one will ever have that with either of us.

    I think that he was just under a lot of pressure at the time and both our families adding more to it with their opinions just pushed him over the edge and he felt cornered. Maybe we just rushed wanting to get married and we still needed to give us more bonding time.

    I don’t know if I’m just making excuses to make the situation better or I should accept that things were not meant to be and just move on once and for all …

    What do you think?

    #205431
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Rose:

    It doesn’t read to me that the problem was “a lot of pressure at the time”-

    I think the problem is that your ex boyfriend had greats suspicions about you lying to him, not being trustworthy. His suspicions and mistrust in you don’t have anything to do with who you are but with what he was told and shown when he was a child.

    When his father told him something negative about you he believed him. He didn’t base his belief on any evidence, did he. He based his belief on his core belief, that is what he believed since childhood, that women are not trustworthy.

    Maybe it is his father who instilled that belief long ago. There is nothing you can do to change a core belief in him because it is already recorded and set in his brain.

    I figure he withdrew from the marriage plan because he figured you are not worthy of marriage, only for sex, not being trustworthy of more than a sexual relationship.

    What do you think?

    anita

     

    #205491
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi Anita.

    Hope you are well.

    I thought A lot of things but I honestly keep going in circles. Some days I believe he never really wanted to commit to me and other days I feel that maybe it was pressure.

    But what you said about it being his core belief, I can agree with you on that. But it never crossed my mind before.

    He spoke about other women trying to get his attention and not succeeding because he believed that they were after his money.

    I never cared for all that. All I wanted was someone to share my life with and enjoy the little things such as laying in ones arms whilst watching our favourite movie… sitting at the beach… Praying together.

    If it is his core belief, there isn’t any chance of us having a relationship is there. It would just start the same cycle.

    #205555
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Rose:

    I am well, thank you.

    You wrote earlier: “our relationship was not filled with roses and rainbows”. Your username is Rose, and it reads to me that you were indeed the rose in the relationship. It reads to me that you are and have been the reasonable one of the two, that you were loving and kind to him and that he would have benefited so very much if he indeed married you.

    But people often do not do what is good for them to do.

    Do you know more about his relationship with his father, with his mother?

    (Getting more of a glimpse into what your ex boyfriend believes can be very useful for you as you consider if a relationship with him is indeed a “Dream OR Reality”).

    anita

     

    #205615
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Good evening Anita.

    I know that he loves and respects his family very much. When I observed how he interacted with them at family prayers and special holidays, he always kept himself busy and whenever anyone needed anything, they will always go to him.

    He was always there whenever they needed him. Whenever we made plans and if his family needed him, they were priority and I didn’t mind because he was the only son living with them and he was the only driver.

    His parents are very old fashioned and with us having a 10 year age gap, his thinking was very alike and I liked it.

    But what I noticed was that he didn’t allow them to physically touch him, not even his mother. He kept to himself.

    #205677
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Rose:

    Here is a possibility as to what happened:

    “He got angry at everything” in the relationship with you because he is still the angry child that he was. (We all are very much still the children that we were). His anger at his parents is why “he didn’t allow them to physically touch him, not even his mother. He kept to himself”  (your own observation).

    In the relationship with you he kept “repeatedly asking me for reassurances that I was his and only his, if the things I told him about my past were true or was I just filling him up with lies and deceit” because in his childhood experience he was indeed filled with lies and deceit … by his mother or by both parents and/ or his parents told him repeatedly that other people are not trustworthy, have dishonest motivations, women being after a man’s money and so on.

    You wrote that “he loves and respects his family very much”, and so, he is loyal to them in spite of their lies and deceits and/ or he is loyal to what they taught him about other people. This is why what his father told him about you was so powerful in his mind (and was major in leading to his withdrawal from the marriage plans, correct?)

    If you would like to share more, if it may be helpful to you to get more on my input, you can elaborate on things you mentioned: what is it that his father said about you, what were your family’s concerns regarding the marriage plan, concerns they expressed to you and you then expressed to him, as well as what is his religious input about sex outside of marriage (this is regarding his suggestion that the two of you limit your relationship to a sexual one).

    anita

     

     

    #205711
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi Anita.

    Hope you are having a good start to the weekend.

    When we started planning the wedding, I told my ex not to get the families involved. I know how my family is and me being the only daughter, they would want it to be big and a little extravagant. We should be able to have had the wedding we wanted. But he started discussing the planning with my family. His family not once came over or phoned us to discuss anything. We settled on a venue and everything was okay. But then he mentioned he wanted to change it and then everything was settled for a different venue. A month before the wedding, a Saturday morning his dad phoned and spoke to my mother, and told her that his other son’s told him that if the wedding was going to take place there,  They won’t attend. His sister in law said that she will tell the guests not to wear jewellery because the venue was not a safe place. My family and I felt very offended because we are from the area. We have been staying here since my parents got married and how dare they say things like that . His dad wanted confirmation the same time, because the cards were going to print on that day.

     

    I phoned his dad early the next day and spoke to him. I tried to explain the situation. And he his response was that if my family won’t stand with me, he will. And after baring kids, my family will be happy and I was confused until I understood what he meant. He was under the impression that my family won’t come to the wedding and I’d be alone.

     

    My mum is a single parent. My dad dies 10 years ago. A once of major heart attack took his life. I wasn’t going to get married without my rock by my side. My family may be a crazy one but they have always had my back.

    I was upset. Because if his family had been involved and told from the beginning how everything was being planned, this would have been resolved.

    Our family had a lot of deaths from 2016- 2017 so it stressed everyone. All the problems that we previously had came to a boiling point and my mother couldn’t handle it. My aunt came over the next day and they had a meeting and they were upset. And I couldn’t blame them. I was hoping that things would have cooled down over a night’s sleep but I was mistaken. My mum suggested we cancel everything. Then she suggested we wait another year to get married. My brother was upset too and pin pointed a lot of things he found wrong in my relationship. Things he kept in for so long.

    I told my ex that Monday what they had to say. How they felt and asked him to please stand with me to which he utterly threw back in my face. He deemed my families views as my own.

    That same week on Wednesday, I phoned him and I asked how he was doing. He told me his father told him something that brought him down to his knees. His dad told him that I was not straight forward. I literally felt my heart stop. I was so shocked and so hurt. I felt my heart broke at that point. I felt that in that moment, I lost my father for the second time.

    ur conversations after consisted of me being quiet and him lashing his anger out on me. I took it quietly. Hoping and praying he would calm down. But only after he had broken up with me did he seem more relaxed.

    Sex well wasn’t really an important factor in our relationship. He had previous encounters but that never bothered me. As long he was faithful to me We wanted to do it but never really bothered to. Eventually we decided that we will leave it for honeymoon.

    Our sexual thinking is much on the crazy side so I doubt that it would have been anything religious .

    #205719
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Rose:

    I will read and reply to your recent post when I am back to the computer in about sixteen hours. Take good care of yourself.

    anita

    #205763
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Rose:

    You told your ex it is better to not get the families involved in the planning of the wedding but he involved your family in it anyway. A venue was chosen. Then he wanted to change venue and a second one was chosen. Then his father called your mother and told her that he is unhappy with the venue/area and will not attend the wedding there because the area  is unsafe, as in their jewelry worn for the wedding can be stolen. You and your family got offended because you live in that area. His father later told you that he will support you, as it was his understanding that your family does not support you, that your family will not attend your wedding.

    Later you family had a meeting, they were upset “And I couldn’t blame them”, you wrote. Your mother suggested to cancel he wedding, or wait another year before you get married. Your brother pointed “a lot of things he found wrong in my relationship. Things he kept in for so long”. Next you told your ex what your brother and mother said. Your ex then told you in so many words that what your mother said and what your brother said are things you believe in, that is, that the wedding should be cancelled or postponed and that there are lots of things wrong in your relationship.

    Then your ex told you that his father told him that you were not straight forward. His father claim that you are not straightforward intensely offended you.

    My input: your idea to not involve the families was a good one although probably not a likely possibility because of how involved he is with his family and how involved you are with your family.

    There has been communication between your ex and his father that you were and are not aware of (leading his father to believe that your family does not support you). And then, there has been communication between you and your family that maybe you shouldn’t have told your ex.

    What your brother told you, that there are lots of things wrong in your relationship, did you believe he had valid points? If you believed that your brother’s concerns were valid then you shouldn’t have married your ex. If you believed your brother’s concerns were not valid then you shouldn’t have told those to your ex.

    In the latter case, if what your brother said was not valid, not true, what was your purpose in telling your ex what your brother said?

    anita

     

     

     

    #205775
    Victoria
    Participant

    Hi Rose,

    It sounds to me that you’re families are not compatible, nor are you and your ex. Your ex’s family sounds like a lot of drama and so does your ex. You said he gets angry about everything, tells you that you’re lying all the time etc, that’s alarming to me. That suggests abusive behaviour, whether he knows it or not. You seem to be always defending them and they seem to be turning on you. You might love this man, or think you do, but sometimes the best thing to do is to move on. Relationships and families shouldn’t be so turbulent, in the beginning you and your ex should have learnt how to communicate and trust each other by now, and if you were both right for each other your families wouldn’t be having such concerns. Generally, if your friends or family don’t like someone you’re seeing then they’re usually right. It sounds like he and his family will always be a problem, and may only get worse.

    He actually sounds a lot like my ex, verbally abusive, manipulative, constantly told me that I was cheating on him or wanting to cheat on him, when it wasn’t true. I couldn’t do or say anything without getting into trouble, without him getting angry at me and starting a fight and the only reasoning I have is because I was 6 years younger than him and in his words I was immature, naive, gullible and easily overcome by another man who wants me. I have no idea if he was actually cheating on me or not, but I was told that when a guy becomes so insecure about what you’re doing or saying then they’re usually doing it behind your back and are now they’re paranoid for whatever reason. Your ex sounds a lot like this, maybe not completely but you are right to break up with him and I strongly think you should move on.

    #205931
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi Anita

    I apologise for the delayed response.

    One day my family was sat in the lounge with my ex. We were discussing the wedding and my mother had said something about what she didn’t agree with but still went along with considering that’s what my ex wanted. And he was shocked because I didn’t inform him about it. He was really upset and he wanted a promise that whenever my family is unhappy about anything, I will tell him what they have to say. And I promised him that and I kept to it by telling him what they had to say.

    I do not see anything wrong in telling him what they had to say. I could have lied and told him that they are okay and we can go along with everything. And at another sit down, if certain things are said, he was going to look at me as a liar and I did not want that.

    My brother pointed out things, things that I was aware of, things that I understood. They assumed I was blind and being manipulated. When I tried to explain to my family, they shut me down and said that I was only making excuses for him which was not the case.

    My family isn’t perfect. There’s good days and there are really bad days. Everyone has their own personality. So my ex’s reaction and behaviour, I accepted it as him being different. I accepted his flaws and loved him as a whole. He made efforts for me. Efforts such as being more talkative amongst my family, when it came to his family, he shouldn’t hug them but when it came to my family, he hugged them. He was a reserved man and I know doing that, must have taken a lot.

    #205935
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi Victoria

    Trust you are well.

    Thank you so much for your reply. I really do appreciate it.

    I am really sorry that you had to go through that. I hope that you have met someone who treats you well.

    I understand what you said. My gut tells me that you are right but another part tells me that I am also stupid for even considering that my ex and I aren’t compatible.

    Whilst the whole debacle over whether or not my ex wants to marry me or not, I spent a lot of time on the internet searching for answers. I came across first loves, true loves, soul mates and twin flames. I mention only these 4 because I paid attention to the definitions. I always searched for hope, even if it was one thing, as long as it gave me hope, I clung onto it.

    If you don’t mind me asking, what did you do to move on completely?

     

     

    #205937
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Rose:

    I understand your motivation in telling him what your mother and brother said to you. He asked you to do that. I don’t think it is a good idea, but he asked you and you respected his request.

    You wrote: “My family isn’t perfect. There’s good days and there are really bad days. Everyone has their own personality”-

    I think it is tough enough for two personalities (you and your boyfriend at the time) to work well together. It often takes lots of time, increasing and improving communication, patience, gentleness, and so on.

    For multiple personalities to work well together, that is way more difficult than two. It is as if the marriage planned was not only between you and him, but between your mother, your brother, his father, his.. him and you.

    It is as if he needed every single person in his and your family to be okay with everything, the wedding itself, the venue, and so on. In reality, this is not a necessary to achieve, everyone’s agreement, everyone being okay.

    “Dream OR Reality?”- my answer at this point: Dream, if the goal is to have perfect agreement by all members of the two families.

    anita

    #205941
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi Anita

    Thank you for taking your time and listening to what I had to say and advising me.

    I really appreciate it.

    Have a good week 🙂

    #205949
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Rose:

    You are welcome and thank you for the good wishes.

    anita

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