We’ve been busy. Way too busy. I actually am a little afraid that you will get bored with this blog once our life resumes a more normal pace. But wait, there are so many things I need to share about what happened this summer that we are good for a while, I think. Today, I want to feature a painful topic: misunderstandings.
Cultural differences or misunderstandings?
One of my very first posts talked about the cultural differences between Papa and myself. Him being Romanian and me German. Another post told you I get angry, often. Sometimes I am angry and emotional because of personal stress overload (and we had a lot of this lately!). Other times because of friction created by our cultural differences. Lately, we have reached a new low however: simple misunderstandings.
Both Papa and I are exhausted. That might be putting it mildly. And with a toddler in the house who still doesn’t manage more than three hours of sleep in one go, I am sleep deprived as well. So lately, Papa and I have not had a lot of energy to concentrate on what we say to each other, or how we say it. With disastrous consequences.
Minimum once a day one of us misunderstands the other. We get annoyed, and defensive. More often than not, my sensitivity and pent up stress turn a simple misunderstanding into a full blown argument.
Tears and shouts
Two versions of overreaction exist. In the first, I break down sobbing and crying. I feel like I am not understood (correct) and therefore will never be and should stop caring (incorrect). This leaves me more exhausted as I feel lonely and unloved and enter a downward spiral of self-pity and misery.
Version two involves me losing my temper and screaming at my husband. I get oh so angry. I feel all this energy build inside me and I need to win the argument at all costs. Only to find out once I have calmed down that I just misunderstood Papa’s good intentions and ruined the afternoon needlessly.
Time to relax
One thing is clear, we need time to relax. Papa and I have been giving 120% each the entire summer. Our to do list was so very long. We need time to reconnect. Time to process all that happened. And time to clear up our misunderstandings before they grow into deeper issues. Pray we find the time.
At least Bubsi takes it easy