I liked the story a lot, but I can't help noticing that the end of the story, she said "I realized it was not that remarkable for a person to understand what another person needed"...in a case where she didn't say what she wanted. She didn't say "I want to drive the boat". Lindsay and Jeff just know.
Now this is better than a fiance who, when you tell him what you want, tells you not to want that. But it's not what one actually needs to do, which is to say what you want and have friends (or a fiance) who cares, and listens.
That's a lovely story, but I've never encountered her version of the Japanese folktale before. I'm wondering if there really is an alternate version out there, or if she's misremembering or read her own situation into it, or just twisted it to suit her narrative. The version I'm familiar with is quite sad and beautiful in its own way. [1]
Interesting story, I liked it too, I can't seem to get past the sensation that her x is not only kind of a douchebag, but might also be on the spectrum.
I am very confused why this got down voted.. I'm on the spectrum myself, and I see a lot of my own "sense of how things work" in his behavior (not the cheating, but the tendency to put my own sense of logic above the feelings of others), it just seems he is much less able understand that while his behavior may seem logical to him, it hurts and deprives his partner, and that he needs to do more, even if he can't really feel why.
Now this is better than a fiance who, when you tell him what you want, tells you not to want that. But it's not what one actually needs to do, which is to say what you want and have friends (or a fiance) who cares, and listens.