Who do you look for when you need an ear

As someone who has been married for sometime, the only person I look for is rarely other than my wife. I talk to her about nearly everything, except for business decisions which I discuss with with business partners (although I do tell my wife certain things too).

There are a few instances, which usually involves family and even friends, when I was asked to be that ear where people use to tell their side of the story. As a practising syariah lawyer once, who handled Muslims family matters, I had my share of sob stories. As a man, who was single nearly all of my teenage life and twenties (never really had a steady girlfriend) I sometimes crossed over to the 'friend' zone and that is the position where you are the place the other half comes to tell their stories. Nowadays, I even had a few encounters, where men comes and tried to get me to be their shoulder to cry on (long story).

My best advice to everyone, either they are a man or woman, who are in a long term relationship is to always to have a friend. You might not know when you need one. This is not just in preparation of any disagreements or even heartbreaks which might then lead to bitter separation between you and your spouse/partner or whatever you call your other half, but this is also for any untoward accidents which people pass through in life due to natural disasters, wars or better known as force majeure. 

Unless you are quite good at drowning yourself in sorrow. Alone...