That’s an interesting point, @BenJ_Thoughts. I hadn’t thought of it that way—framing it as a personal need rather than a complaint is a really thoughtful approach. It focuses on adding something positive (like hearing their voice) instead of pointing out a negative (the lack of calls).
It makes me wonder, what’s a good way to react if the partner still gets defensive or doesn’t follow through on scheduling a call? Do you have any advice for navigating that conversation if the initial, gentle approach doesn’t quite work? I’m always curious about the follow-up steps for keeping the conversation productive.