TIMELESS REFLECTIONS BY ZOEY

Marriage is often painted as a beautiful union, a partnership where two people come together to build a life filled with love, understanding, and support. Yet, what happens when the foundation starts to crack? When one partner shoulders the weight of expectations, while the other seems unaware of what it means to truly be a partner?  

As a woman, I’ve often been told about the sacrifices, patience, and love that define a “perfect wife.” But no one ever tells you what to do when your efforts are met with silence, neglect, and indifference. I find myself standing at a crossroads, questioning not just my role as a wife but the very essence of this partnership.  

The Pain of Neglect  

It’s not the grand gestures I miss, though they’d be nice. It’s the little things the small acts of care that say, I see you, I value you, and I’m here for you. It’s the good mornings, the meaningful conversations, the unexpected hugs, the simple acknowledgment of my existence as more than just someone who shares the same roof.  

Instead, there’s this aching void, a loneliness that cuts deeper because it’s present even when he’s physically there. I find myself asking: Does he even know what it means to be a husband? To love, to protect, to cherish, to make me feel like I matter?  

The Love That Won’t Let Go  

And yet, I love him. Deeply. That’s the part that makes this even harder. If I didn’t care, maybe I could walk away without looking back. But I care too much. I wish we could sit down, talk, and untangle this mess together. I wish he could see the cracks forming in my heart, the pain I hide behind a tired smile.  

I’ve tried to bring it up dropping hints, starting conversations but it often feels like talking to a wall. No matter how much I want to fix this, it feels like I’m running in circles, chasing a version of us that maybe only existed in my dreams.  

 Feeling Broken  

This isn’t the life I imagined. I didn’t sign up for a life where I feel like a shadow, existing but unseen. I didn’t sign up for a marriage where love feels so one-sided, where I’m constantly bending and breaking to meet expectations while mine go unnoticed.  

I feel broken. There’s no other way to say it. I feel like a part of me is slowly fading, and I don’t know how to stop it. How do you fight for something when the other person doesn’t even seem to realize there’s a battle?  

 A Dead End or a Crossroad?  

Some days, it feels like a dead end—like there’s no way out of this pain. But on other days, I wonder if this is just a crossroad, a chance to pause, reflect, and decide what I truly want and deserve. I’m not perfect, and I don’t expect him to be either. I just want us to try. To meet each other halfway. To rebuild what’s been broken.  

But if that effort doesn’t come, what then? How long can love sustain itself when it’s one-sided? How long can I keep giving without receiving anything in return?  

I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know what the future holds. But I do know this: I deserve to be loved, valued, and respected. And if you’re reading this and feeling even a fraction of what I’m feeling, please know that you deserve that too.  

Love is meant to be a partnership, not a performance. And while it hurts to admit, sometimes love alone isn’t enough.