Kiss Me Like You Mean It Read Online Free PDF Page A

because there is no connection.
    A husband and a wife ride in the car together for forty-five minutes with absolutely no conversation. The husband thinks, “Hey, that was a great trip. We were together, and I enjoyed it. I wish I could have caught a few more green lights.” His wife thinks, “Our marriage is over. We have nothing to talk about. He hates me. He’s probably already seen a divorce attorney.”
    The truth is, your spouse needs to feel more important than your hobbies. A healthy marriage requires conversation, not just being in each other’s company.
    The wife needs her husband’s eye contact, his complete attention, and a decent conversation in which personal things are shared. And, she needs this experience on a regular basis. Although he’s usually not aware of it, the husband has the same need.
    Your Pets
    The husband sat on my office couch next to his wife and said, “Dr. Clarke, I have solid evidence that another male is more important to my wife than I am.” His wife was shocked and stammered, “What . . . what do you mean? That’s not true!” He calmly looked at her and said, “Yeah? What about Buddy?” She laughed out loud and said, “Buddy is our dog!” He replied, “Exactly, my dear.”
    The husband spent the next ten minutes describing how he’d been replaced by Buddy. (I couldn’t resist saying, “No longer the top dog, huh?”) “Doc, when she comes home in the evening, she goes right to Buddy: ‘How’s my little man? Mommy loves you so much. Mommy missed you today. Let me kiss your face and hug you, you sweet furball!’ After a few minutes of loving on Buddy, she gives me a peck on the cheek. The rest of the evening I have to watch as a four-footed mongrel gets most of the love and attention from my wife. Buddy gets fed before me. Buddy gets more kisses, more hugs, and more massages than I do. She says many more sweet, loving, and complimentary things to Buddy. When Buddy has a urinary accident, she’s very patient and kind with him. When I make a mess or forget to do a chore, she’s impatient and critical.
    “Doc, the dog is more important than me! I want to be Buddy because he’s closer to my wife than I am. The other night, I came to bed late and found Buddy sleeping next to my wife on my side of the bed! I half expected him to be wearing my pajamas! I shook him awake and he actually growled at me. By the look in his eyes, I could have sworn he was thinking, ‘I’m taking over, loser. Sleep on the couch.’ ”
    I’ve seen this kind of overkill pet devotion happen with dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, and hamsters. When a pet gets more time, attention, affection, and communication than your spouse, something’s wrong! Actually, someone’s wrong. You!
    Your Family and Friends
    A husband continues to hang out with his single friends at their homes. His wife feels neglected, but he says, “Getting married shouldn’t mean I have to give up all my friends.” When you add it up, he spends more time each week with his friends than he does with his wife.
    A wife spends, on average, an hour and a half on the telephone or online with family and friends each evening. While she talks and talks, her husband watches television or reads. She is closer emotionally to her “buddies” than she is to her own husband.
    A husband calls his mother at least three times a week. He relies on her for praise, encouragement, and advice. He talks to her about issues and decisions in his life before he talks to his wife. He does whatever he can to please his mother. He does what she tells him to do. When his mother and his wife have a different opinion about something, he sides with Mom. He’s a mama’s boy and is rapidly losing the respect of his wife.
    A wife has never really broken away from her father, become her own person. She is used to relying on his wisdom and guidance and continues to depend heavily on him. Her husband wants to be the leader and for them to make decisions together,