Husband yearns for travel, but wife likes to stay home
Dear Abby: My wife and I have been married for 42 years. For the most part, we have had a good marriage. We raised two children, are helping to raise three grandchildren, and still enjoy each other’s company. I am retiring shortly and looking forward to it. For years I have anticipated being free to travel the country and see things I didn’t have the time to see when I was employed. I like the idea of seeing the country via road trip. My wife says she’s a homebody and doesn’t want to be “stuck in the car” for a week. Several friends have suggested I take my road trips without my wife. I don’t really want to do that, and she says that if I did, she would feel deserted. How can I be a good husband and spend time with my wife, and not feel cheated out of something I have wanted to do for so long?
Headed for the Open Road Dear Headed: I can’t help thinking about how many widows would give anything to share an adventure like that with their husband. I also don’t think leavi†ng one’s spouse for a week qualifies as desertion. Perhaps if you return from one of your excursions with tales of how beautiful and interesting the road trip was, it will pique her interest. P.S. If the problem is that your vehicle is too small, have you considered renting something larger?
Dear Abby: My husband and I have been together for almost 20 years. With every year that passes, I fall more in love with him. He’s a wonderful person who treats me very well. However, when it comes to being intimate, I’m just not interested. I have known him for so long and know him so well that, for me, the spark is extinguished. In some ways, he almost feels like a brother, which makes it difficult to have sexual feelings. I tell him many times a day that I love him, because I do. We have tried role playing, but nothing helps me. I go through the motions when I must. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Extinguished Sparks
Dear Extinguished: My suggestion would be to have a frank talk with your OB/GYN about this, and ask for a referral to an endocrinologist — a doctor who specializes in hormones.
If, after a checkup, your hormone balances are what they should be, some sessions with a psychologist for you — and a sex therapist for both of you — might relight the spark.
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