WOW, I got a lot of information here for a lot of different people, in fact it too much to take in.
Children would not be a good thing to introduce(not now and probably never), as you said they are strong but are not going to fix anything.
What I took from the dandelion comment(which I liked it), is just because I experienced this part of my life, I am not doomed for failure in the rest of my life. That I learned things and that I grew stronger because if it.
To: HisIsTheCrown you provide a different look at in the it seems many of the others, some of the information is helpful. I do feel like some of things you mentioned I have attempted for at least a few weeks at time. Some of which why I am still working on this 4 years later. (I tried some as early as 1-2). You mention the less work that happened, the worse things got, the problem is my wife refused to “anything”. My wife refused to only see my parents 3,4,5 times a year, they live locally and never for more that 3 to hours at a time. If she refuses to try nothing can happen. Her mom calls the house after not speaking to her daughter after several weeks, calls again a few days later, sends email asking dear daughter I love you please call me. My wife refuses to call back and ask if I can instead. There are not spotless marriages and I knew this going into marriage, but if my wife refuses to work on the marriage with me???
I have 40 years experience working with people and I am still learning. I started now with an orphans place and I tell you, I am learning everyday.
When you know, you know. Even with closed eyes, you know which is the problem of a person with a known problem.
when you do not know, you do not know. You try 1000 times and you fail. Like working with AIDS, HIV, cancer. You just do not know. Then, you fight everyday, and fail everyday and the next day you start fighting again. If you give up, things are dead. If you do not things to go dead, you must fight everyday. Do not foresee the future. No one knows whether you will fight till the end of your life or you will find the solution tomorrow.
My father used to tell the story of the fellow who went to the watchmaker to repair a clock. The watchmaker looked to it carefully, took a fine tool, made a complex gesture and touched the clock. Close it and said: “It is working and it is 80 dollars!”. “What? 80 dollars for a small touch?”, asked the client, and the watchmaker replied: “Why didn’t you give the touch at your home?”
The solution can be at your side, a small touch but we do not know…But as we find it, it is as simple as that…
Now, on what you say.
Please do not say that your wife “does not want”. False.
A wife who does not call back her mother has got a problem, a very deep problem. It is not that “she does not want”. She is sick! How do you want her to see YOUR family when she does see hers? Do not count on her to work on the marriage !!! It is you, who seem to be sane, who have to carry all the burden, for you and for her. She is sick, brother, and you are the only one who can save the marriage. You must save yourself and cure her. Double burden!!! Like Jesus Cross who has chosen you to carry it.
Now, the first question I put when I do not understand things is WHY?
Why is it so that your wife does not want to see her mother? Why? Why?
If you go to the doctor, the first thing he wants to answer is what is your disease. So, you must give a name to your wife disease. Tell you, brother, she is sick. A person who treats a question of checkbooks the way she treated is sick, deeply sick. You must find why is she so, what are the causes of her sickness and why did she arrive to this point.
I do not like to give solution before one knows what she has.
You do not treat a tuberculosis like you treat a broken leg or a depression. Some people like to give solutions before knowing what the person has got, what is the problem, what is the sickness. It is like giving an aspirin to an appendicitis!!!
I find it very hard to find causes. With the orphans I am dealing with, I am tutoring a girl and after 2 years I still cannot get into the root of the problem. I am around it, she likes me I like her, all it is ok and that is nothing for “to like” is not enough to heal.
What I would suggest is to write down her history of life to see whether you can discover something. To see whether she is depressed or anxious. There are some internet tests for it, though one must take into account that
THESE TESTS ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY RELIABLE and never, absolutely never, substitute the consultation of a doctor nor they should be taken into account as taking any medicine or remedy. They are just intended ofr information purposes.
God Bless You, Brother. I am keeping your info in my mind. Up to now, I think that your wife is a person who is afraid of the future, of changing things or ways or schemes of work and who is afraid of relying on others and maybe afraid of love.
Up to now. I may be totally wrong…
I’ll Pray for you.