It’s hard to imagine

My smart and capable husband is living in a world outside of my reality. Actually, outside of any reality.

He has many wives, one of which he says is not nice to him.

Guilty as charged. I direct him too much. Praise him too little. Worry that something will go awry. All of this singly and cumulatively annoys him.

He feels undermined. He senses that if I have to tell him what to do so often, it’s because I don’t appreciate him.

I do.

And since I do, it behooves me to show him.

I am planning (and tested an implementation) to say, “You did nothing wrong” before giving him guidance. The phrasing mimics his frequently asked,  “What did I do wrong.” In fact, it kind of cuts the question off at the pass.