Welcome to the Empowered Wife podcast where it's all about fixing your relationship without your

man's conscious efforts that you feel desired, taking care of and special even if

your relationship feels completely hopeless. I'm Laura Doyle and today we're talking about what to do

when your husband hurts your feelings. What if he had a powerful one-word answer that

made him think about what he had just said or done and respond with tenderness

and even accountability. I'm also excited for you to hear from my guest Darlene, whose relationship

with her first love, fizzled shortly after they had their daughter.

They drifted apart after she realized he didn't even want to be a father and he wasn't very good

at it anyway.

So she raised her daughter alone for 20 years and then life brought them back together.

She was willing to do just about anything to make it work, but it seemed like the harder

she tried, the more he retreated.

She's going to tell us not only how she saved the relationship,

but how she made it amazing, shiny, and wonderful.

And then I'll be giving out the award for the worst relationship advice of the week, which is part of some very popular communication training that you hear about.

But when I used it, when I see other women using it, it all goes kablui and it causes boatloads of hostility and that is not what

anyone is trying to do in her relationship. So all of that's coming up but first

let's talk about what to do when your husband hurts your feelings. Now my husband hurts my feelings sometimes, even now

that our marriage has been mostly playful and passionate for many many years.

It's not very often anymore I admit but as human beings living in close proximity

that is going to happen occasionally.

And when he does, my knee-jerk reaction

...