I often feel impatient when listening to Brian talk. I tend to interrupt him. We both have a bad habit of interrupting each other and of finishing each other’s sentences. Yesterday we had a nice time talking, I made a conscious effort not to interrput him. I learned a very powerful lesson: I am not psychic and I do not always know what my husband is going to say.

I did not realize how much I assumed about his thoughts. He also talked differently with me yesterday, he didn’t interrupt me either. It was nice, and interesting.

‘Course this morning we were back in our long married mode of communication, talking to each other in a series of grunts and half-words and unfinished sentences. I appreciate that too, as neither of us is particularly garrulous in the early morning. But I also value that we are learning to talk to each other anew.