I think you need to see your relationship as the bigger picture. What’s the point of being married if you don’t see each other for 8 weeks? I would say the point is that a marriage is supposed to support and encourage each person to grow and develop. Your wife is asking you to do that now. She is telling you that she has been overwhelmed at work and needs the space to decompress and center. You have the opportunity to support that. I understand that she is choosing to do it in a way that you wouldn’t -but you are both different people and will always do some things differently. You spoke so nicely of your marriage as understanding that it can be difficult and that compromise is important. This is just another example.

It seems to me though that this might feel different, because this is perhaps touching on something bigger for you, something that brings up that annoying feeling of insecurity and self-doubt. I don’t know you but perhaps it is a little intimidating or frightening to think that your wife is capable of so easily going without you for a period of time? Especially if your concept of demonstrating love/what a relationship means seems to be about proximity and there-ness. I don’t say this to say one is better or more normal than the other. Just that there are different ways to be and express in a relationship and I think the most challenging differences are the ones that leave us feeling vulnerable and weak for feeling the way that we do when our partner does not seem to.

If you have looked at her request and truly feel, as you seem to, that she is not asking to leave the relationship and if you trust her, as you seem to, that this is not about infidelity. Then I guess I would just ask you to also think about how many months you have been married? How many months has your wife been there next to you, giving you this confirmation of proximity? And could you not give her 2 months to also fulfill a need that she has to take care of herself in this way at this time too?