• Relationships

    “Are You Even Listening?” (Being Present vs. Being Distracted)

    I stared straight into my husband’s eyes while he shared about his frustrating work day. I nodded and I’m pretty sure my expression was properly fixed in “sympathy mode”. But, I wasn’t hearing a word he was saying – I wasn’t present at that moment. Predictably…he noticed. Sighing, he asked, “You don’t really care about this, do you?” I was stricken (and feeling incredibly guilty). My mind had been somewhere else – exploring mental galaxies outside of the one that I should have been sharing with my husband. This happens often, unfortunately. I know I’m not alone in this. In the chaotic, fast-paced life we lead, we are constantly in a…