I knew nothing about relationships when I met Laura. I only know that looking back, I realize that I behaved like I did when I was growing up. That said, I was in a constant battle with my mother and never felt heard or cared about.
After Laura and I broke up, I took some time to work on myself and take responsibility for where I was wrong. When Emily and I started dating, I felt myself sliding back to my old ways.
Really my behavior was ridiculous. I once yelled at Emily for cutting cheese the wrong way.
What I quickly discovered was that with Emily, I was heard and cared for and as a result, I learned to be more reasonable and compromising.
Uncle Joel’s advice seems very apropos here:
Keep your ears open and your mouth shut! I guess now that’s my advice too.
