“Relationships based on obligation lack dignity.” Wayne Dyer
“Last night my husband and I were discussing whether or not he would go out of his way to pick up some something for me that is close to his work. I told him I felt a little bit bad asking him to do it because I know he’s tired after his 12 hr shifts and his hand is still healing after the accident we were involved in. He got a bit exasperated and said he’s happy to go out of his way to do something for his wife. Because that’s what marriage is. You do things for your spouse that you don’t necessarily like to make the other person happy.
And then in return maybe I could just show a little appreciation and do something for him that I don’t necessarily like, such as having sex with him. I am done with using sex as a way to get things in the marriage. It’s something I used to consider to be my wifely duty, and I hated that. I want sex to be about union and pleasure for both partners, not payment or obligation.”
We’ve been taught that marriage is about doing things for each other. Your actions will drive how happy or unhappy I am in the relationship.
We’ve been taught that we should do things we don’t want to do because that’s what marriage is.
We both love to travel and wanted to live near the beach. Easy enough when we agree on what we both want.
Sometimes I don’t want to do the same things as him, but because I love him, I am glad to do those things occasionally as an act of love (without ever demanding anything in return). He likes when he goes fishing for me to come along with a chair and a book to keep him company (and I think secretly to see firsthand the size of fish he caught…lol).
And sometimes, he doesn’t want to do what I want to do – and that’s his choice. Every adult gets to do whatever they want to do. I don’t have to force him to do anything he doesn’t want to do. I don’t have to guilt him into it or make him feel obligated by bringing up all the things I do. Because the truth is that if I do that, it will only create unnecessary resentments and distance between us that neither of us wants.
And don’t even get me started on using sex as a bargaining chip…or wifely duties…I might just lose my manners.
Obligation and Marriage