Dear Prudence,
I’m in my 20s and have been with my boyfriend for a year and a half now. Things are going very well, but this is my very first relationship, and as such I’m still figuring out how this is all supposed to work. We’re pretty good at communicating and we try to be very honest and open with each other. How open is one supposed to be in a relationship? I recently had a mildly erotic dream about a mutual friend of ours—in the dream it was the friend making a move on me, and I was very uncomfortable about it both during the dream and when I woke up. I don’t see it as a huge deal, because dreams are bizarre things, and while the friend is attractive, I am most definitely devoted to my boyfriend.
I find myself wanting to talk about it however, as I found it such an odd dream. Things are very secure between me and my boyfriend, but I know he has some insecurities from past relationships. However, not mentioning it almost feels like I have something to hide, as if I’m guilty about it. I really don’t think of the dream as a big deal, and my boyfriend knows how much I love him, but I don’t want to inadvertently hurt his feelings by mentioning it offhand. How do you balance being honest and open with a partner when feelings might be involved? How do you decide what’s OK to talk about and what’s better left unsaid, when honesty is a priority?