What does it mean (if anything) when a husband cuts off his facial hair, such as a goatee and or beard, and his wife doesn’t notice for a day or two, even when you are together?

– Baffled

Dear Baffled: My mother had a friend who decided to test her family’s attention by appearing at the breakfast table wearing a full-on ski mask.

No one said a word.

The point is that families sometimes stop seeing one another. Proximity can inspire invisibility.

So yes, this lack of attention means something, but it doesn’t mean everything.

This may have hurt your feelings, however, so discuss it with your wife, and be emotionally honest.

You should both ask yourselves how “present” you are in your daily lives. Do you notice positive changes your spouse has made, and acknowledge them?

When you do notice and remark on changes – little or large – you are quite literally saying, “I see you.”