Forth sooth you cut us Neanderthals to the quick! sleep on it and if it still bothers you tomorrow.....

I think Julie got it right. A good, secure guy won’t mind that his lady doesn’t need him as long as she wants him, or doesn’t dote on them constantly because it means extra when you do. Compliments from independent people mean more than from someone who dependently heaps praise freely. The latter is part of my problem; I’m initially picky but when I find a girl I like, I’m probably too free with the praise and sappiness til it means very little or gets tiresome. Gotta work on that.

At the worst he might be hinting that he could use more verbal encouragement like that sometimes, but it more than likely just means more coming from you when it does happen.

One could also scrutinize your statement "You are loved." When you could have said "I love you." That caught my attention because I have never said "I love you" to a man, but I once said "You are loved."

Guess it's my guarded style to protect my heart. I wasn't called on it at the time, but that's the best I could do, my fella knew that, and it really was something coming from me, meaning someone who is very selective about who gets a piece of my heart.

Maybe you are also very selective regarding who gets attention from your heart, and he knows and understands that.

Elaine: "I can't spend the rest of my life coming into this stinking apartment every 10 minutes to pore over the excruciating minutiae of every single daily event."

Jerry: "Why not? Like yesterday, I went to the bank to make a deposit, and the teller gives me this look..."

I think that he means that it is more meaningful coming from you because he cares for you too.

IMO you are overreacting. People don’t “perfectly mesh - not in body, not in mind, not in spirit.

When you get a “good percentage” of someone that fits, the rest is to be overlooked.

After all - they’re probably doing the same for you...

IMO I don't think that you are over reacting. I think it shows that you value Bill enough to care about how your words affect him. You are nurturing the relationship.
You should perhaps honestly ask yourself if you are over reacting. Even though we may ask people for advice, I think we always know in ourselves how we really feel. I think you are smart and aware enough to know the answer. You are going to address this with him so I think you are doing all the right things. But on the other hand, what do I know?

Sometimes its just fun to be snarky knowing that ladies will overthink things or just to get a rise out of you.

Put the best possible interpretation on it, and don’t obsess and ponder any others.

I'm feeling a bit denisovan, so I'm not sure.

No, men suck.

@ToolGuy, @thinktwice, @RileyStevens, @Sticks48, @RoyMillar, @bobwjr

I redeemed myself by sending Bill a funny "Singing Telegram Hoedown" birthday e-card. As a nod to where he lives in Eastern Washington, cartoon farm animals tumble out of a barn singing:

"You're the bee's knees,
You're the pick of the litter,
You're the salt of the Earth,
You're a warm apple fritter!

"You're fresh cookie dough,
PB & J,
That's why you deserve
A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"Yee HAW!"

"I loved it," Bill texted this morning. "It was so cute. I tried to respond but the message must've gone to the greeting card company rather than to you."

If we are Neanderthal's you have promoted us! Thank you.

Yes, you are over reacting. If he treats you well, it's not important what he meant. But you can make it important. My roommate sometimes says halfway comments that I could press her on if I wanted to create an issue. I probably do the same. We choose to go with the positive interpretation.

Don't over think it. I think it means you are special and that means a lot to him. I could be wrong, but that is the way I read it.

Well coming from a Neanderthal lol , I beleive it means he is very comfortable you and is very relaxed ,,no anxiety,feels you are a comfortable match and that he can talk freely with you and trust what ever the conversation is you are respected for it, may not agree,but that is ok, and your conversations are discrete ,he trusts you that they go not further,,the private side of things not everything,and he really enjoys your company at any time ,,like saying in one way that you are completing his circle of life and hopes you fell the same.just my 3 cents

He was expecting you to play happy birthday to him on the flute instead of singing it, and I suspect you just caught him off guard. He was probably a touch dissapointed, is all.

You're overreacting, typical female (sorry, couldn't resist) reading too much into a Neanderthals simple compliment - a compliment that shows he "gets" you. Teasing does get to go both ways.

I would have taken it as a compliment...that he knows your standards are high and that you are learning to accept him and even love him...it means a lot to him, seriously...he had to earn that and you are now showing it paid off a bit...

Chill and spoil him for his birthday...

Yup overreacting being playful