I’m happily married. My husband is respectful and helpful in almost all regards. I would rate myself about 90% satisfied. This post is about the other 10%.
My husband is on the autism spectrum and struggles with time blindness, as well as a complete indifference toward societal expectations. Punctuality and politeness are likely his least favorite traits of mine.
He also has an insatiable appetite and will continue eating until there’s no food left. If I plan for leftovers, they disappear in a flash. Now, he’s dealing with prediabetes and hypertension, which frightened him due to my father’s recent passing from a heart attack. His unhealthy habits worry me.
Every morning, my husband insists on joining us for the walk to school to get some exercise for himself and the dog. Unfortunately, he openly despises schedules and anyone who adheres to them. This leads him to purposely slow us down and attempt to delay our departure, which becomes a source of frustration for me.
It’s as if he wants us to be late! Then my husband sulks when I urge him to keep moving. Why is he even here if he dislikes the routine? He can walk the dog at any other time if my pace is too fast for him. Oh, right, I’m the one who wanted a dog, so now it’s my responsibility to accommodate school drop-offs and dog walking while enduring his slow pace as a means of punishing me for valuing timeliness.
It’s incredibly irritating! He constantly tells me that he needs my help to stay on track due to his autism, but then he complains endlessly and treats me like a freak for adhering to a schedule that other parents follow. What’s the deal? He asks for assistance with waking up, getting dressed, and leaving the house, yet simultaneously complains about it. It’s frustrating, and it feels like he wants me to help him while resenting me for it. It’s not about him; it’s about our child’s needs.