Hey, I recently discovered that I am poly, and my partner and I talked about it. They came to the conclusion a few days ago that they can't handle a poly relationship at the moment due to personal reasons, and they don't know if they'll ever be comfortable with it.
I don't expect a solution, but do you have any advice? The exchange left me with a pit in my chest. I don't want them in a situation that they aren’t 100% okay with, I don't want to leave them ever, I love them so so much, but I also don't want to be stuck with this feeling forever.
I write about this topic on my FAQ here.
Essentially, this is a deeply human problem. Life is full of choices, and making those choices often requires us to let go of other options. This agony is well captured in Sylvia Plath’s metaphor of the fig tree. Taking a job in a big city with lots of community and nightlife means we can’t also live on a sprawling alpaca farm. Staying home and getting a good night’s rest means we’ll miss out on the concert our friends go to, and going to the concert means missing out on a good night’s rest.
I don’t mean to be glib - this is a painful situation! - but it’s not unique to polyamory and monogamy, and it’s not even unique to relationships. In your heart, you probably already know how to make choices and commit to them and let go of regret and resentment over what could have been, because you’ve been practicing it all your life.
If you want to stay with this person, you will have to make some sacrifices. You know that indefinite monogamy is a condition of this relationship. Sometimes we don’t get everything we want, and that sucks. You can be disappointed that life isn’t perfect, and you are free to grieve your lack of opportunity to try out a polyamorous relationship. But don’t let that regret or resentment fester. Remind yourself that this was something you chose freely, and that it’s worth it to you in order to stay in the relationship.
Imagine that your partner was severely allergic to cats, and being with them meant you could never have a pet cat. You might feel bummed out about this, and you might even feel a pang of longing when you visit a friend with a cat, but if you’ve decided that you’re willing to forgo cat ownership in order to date this person, that’s just the choice you gotta live with. Waking up every morning and being upset that you can’t have a cat, or constantly ruminating on your cat-less life, isn’t going to be healthy or fair.
You may discover that it’s just too much for you to give up, and that you really do feel that you need to try out polyamory, or own a cat, in order to be happy and fulfilled. In that case, you’ll still need to make a sacrifice to get what you want - you’ll need to leave that relationship. Which will also be a painful loss, and it will also feel awful, but it will be necessary in order to pursue the life you want.
Ultimately, only you can decide what sacrifices you are willing to make. Only you can choose which fig to reach out and pluck, and which others to let fall to the ground uneaten. The fact that we have to choose is often aggravating and painful, and no one likes facing a tough choice, but it’s necessary and entirely survivable.
I am sorry that you’ve found yourself in a situation where you can’t get everything you want, and that you feel a “pit” in your chest. Try to give it time, know that you are fully able to cope with disappointment, and then do what you need to do to live your best life in this flawed, complicated reality.