Over the past few months, my marriage has felt a bit distant, and I can’t deny how much it weighs on me. It’s as though something has quietly shifted between us, leaving behind a void that I can’t quite fill. We go through the motions—dinners, conversations, the day-to-day routines—but the warmth, the spark that once brought us together, feels muted. I find myself questioning everything, wondering if it’s just a phase or if something more has changed between us.

More than anything, I feel a sense of underappreciation. I miss the way he used to look at me, as if I was the only person in the room. The little gestures, the compliments, the moments of affection—those things that once felt so natural and affirming—have started to fade. It’s like I’m not being seen in the way I once was, and it’s left me doubting myself, wondering if I still have what it takes to feel attractive and valued in my own skin.

I look in the mirror and search for the woman I was when we first met, the woman who felt confident and grounded, who believed in her own beauty and worth. I don’t want to feel like I’m losing that part of myself, but it’s hard not to when the appreciation seems to have faded from the relationship. I find myself wondering, Is it me? Have I changed so much? Or have we just grown so comfortable that we’re no longer looking at each other with the same excitement and admiration?

It’s not about needing validation from anyone else—I know that self-worth is something we have to find within ourselves. But there’s something about being seen and appreciated by the person you love that makes it easier to believe in your own beauty, to feel desired and valued. And right now, I’m struggling to feel that.

I’d love to know that I still have that spark, that I’m still the woman I used to be. Maybe the answer lies in reconnecting with myself, in finding ways to feel strong and beautiful from within. I’ve started doing little things for myself, whether it’s taking time for hobbies, putting on my favorite dress just because, or spending a few extra minutes savoring a moment of quiet. I’m slowly learning that my worth isn’t defined by anyone else’s gaze but my own.

But there’s still a part of me that wishes he’d see me the way he once did, that he’d remind me of what I know deep down—that I am enough, just as I am. Maybe that’s something we’ll rediscover together, or maybe it’s a journey I’ll take on my own. Either way, I’m determined to feel valued and attractive, not just in my own skin, but in my own soul.