Grief, my wife, and uncertainty.

I'm M, 32, she's F, 30. We have been together 12 years, married for 10. Four years ago, our son, the most wonderful child in the world, was born. He was beautiful, sweet, intelligent. The perfect baby, even through the crying and late night feedings. When he was two years old, he fell into the deep end of our pool and drowned.

This destroyed my wife. When our son was born, she quit her job to stay home with him. She adored him, and he, her. They were inseparable, he was the light of her life. And I adored their relationship, and was very close to him as well. His death devastated us both. But I healed. It still hurts, there's still a hole, but I can live day to day. My wife is still grieving. She cries in his room, refuses to let me box up his clothing and put it in the attic. It has crushed her. She is a shadow of the woman she once was. We've tried marriage counselling and solo therapy, but she closes up whenever a therapist tells her to let go of the death. She sees nothing wrong with this. I suggested maybe we try for another child, and she lost her temper with me. We've been sleeping in separate rooms since- me in our room and her on the futon in our son's room.

I love this woman. We've built a life together. Some day, I want to have another child with her. But I need to know how to help her through this. I've done everything in my power, but my actions just make her mad. We've had sex twice since our son was born, once when he was alive and once shortly after the death.

Reddit, I need to know what to do to get my wife back. I'll spend any money, try anything. I've suggested moving to get away from the memories, but she'll have none of it. There has to be something I can do. I just want the woman I married back.

Posted Dec 29, 2011, 1:08 AM UTC

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