All Comments on 'Melting Away, Slowly... Pt. 05'

This is my second reading of the story. The story is very realistic and wellwritten. I recognize the same problem in my marriage.

A lot of writers here include all sorts of superfluous details--adding 'color' I suppose--but when they slip in their cookbook recipes, I sadlly shake my head:

"After removing the pan from the oven, I set the steaks aside for 5 minutes on a plate, loosely covered with aluminum foil. Using the drippings left in the pan, I placed it back on the stove, and sautéed some small sliced Portobello mushrooms, adding some butter as needed, and deglazing the pan with a jigger of Jack Daniels. Smelled heavenly. The sautéed mushrooms went on top of the steaks."

Thanks for this storey. I find myself with a somewhat similar situation in real life and can certainly empethise with the main character here. It was quite startling to read Mark's assesment of their relationship and realise just how close to my own it is - so if you want real world feedback, you pretty much nailed it.

Thanks for shareing this storey!

Loved this story. Absolutely wonderful. We’ll done!!

Beautifully written, poignant story detailing with the challenges of married life. Thank you for writing it, I very much enjoyed reading it.

This is one of my favorites. I always enjoy reading it.

Good story. Enjoyed it a lot. Is there any chance Martha is a Vulcan?

Some people are just wired like that, I would expect a female to have a bit more empathy.

Not sure why he put up with her coldness for so many years BUT they say love is blind (jaybee186)

it's a well-told tale!

The relationship between Mark and Martha comes across as very sad but believable. Mark's expectations were perfectly reasonable. Normal. Healthy. Loving. The consequences were plausible.

Little-known very pertinent fact: The Christian Faith, so familiar to our culture, (the apostle Paul, specifically) directly teaches (1st Corinthians) that husbands and wives each have "ownership rights" over each other's body. There is a flat out statement, a command regarding refusing each other: "Stop doing that!" A direct command, with a warning that the marriage could be harmed. That is of course in context of being thoughtful and gentle with each other's feelings, but it a direct command. Patterns of refusal are probably what he was focused on. A small complaint: In fifty-one years I have never heard a single pastor or commentary, including some very good ones, teach specifically on those verses. It gets glossed over. Lack of balls to go there I guess. Sorry, but it's fair, and there's just no other way to adequately say it. That isn't the prudish, squeamish caricature of marriage some might expect.

Well developed story.

Key to understanding Martha is that she lacks, nearly completely, the capacity for empathy. To a very great extent she's physically asexual and has no ability why everyone else is not like her or finds her position untenable to a couples relationship.

I find the idea of owning each other's body somewhat untenable per se. For me it should be construed to mean that each WANTS to give their body to their mate and WANTS them to use the gift and willing give back in equal measure. In that fashion it is not ownership but a mutually desired covalent bonding. No man should expect, or believe, he can just take or use his qifes body because scripture says he can. Islam teaches women are property and, until very recently, many "Christians" thought ls and actions were in concurrence.

I would not want to have sex with my wife unless she was a happy participant. To do otherwise is, to me, abhorrent.

I loved the cook book entries!

I tried the steak one last night and was great!!!

3 stars - I know a few women who are exactly like this one and they entered retirement alone. They say that they prefer it that way, but they spend an awful lot of time and energy interfering with other peoples lives. However, I have nothing to do with any of them.

A lovely story, it's a real shame for Martha, she really needs expert help.

Well written, 5 stars from me

Any reader of this series can’t help but to feel massively sorry for anyone who had to have a personal relationship with Martha. Best explanation is that she was a driven narcissist….the observation by one of her sons that she lacked the ability to empathize with ANYONE was spot on. Frankly, it was rather ludicrous that she even bothered to date after the divorce.

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Again, hubby held on much too long, but at least he extricated himself and found an enriching relationship.

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I wonder how many cats Martha eventually wound up with?

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5 *****

I loved the story. I do think it should have only been broken out into 2 parts, 3 pages at a time just seemed small.

This is a good example of that you cannot help someone who is not willing to help themselves. Martha is destined to be alone always simply because she refuses to help herself ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A nice well written story and Martha got what she wanted.