Now. The time is now.
No doubt you're here because you feel like I felt for so long. That there were far too many things happening in and around you that you weren't able to find your way through all of it to stop and appreciate the wonderful people and gifts in your life. We are kindred spirits.
It's not that we don't know there are people who love us nearby and far away. It's not that we aren't aware that we have things we take for granted. It's not that we intended to live our lives so time constrained that we push important things to the side.
I feel you.
Last week was my birthday. I am extremely grateful for the years that God has graciously given me. I try to remember to thank him when I wake up and realize that I've been given another day, another opportunity at this life. God has blessed me beyond anything I would have ever imagined.
Now that my children are older, they have priorities over making me Crayola colored cards and hand made gifts, which I honestly probably have kept every single one they've ever given me. (Yes, I hoard those kinds of memories.) This year one was on a road trip and two were working. It was just me and My Sweet Baboo at home for the day. I enjoyed every vegetative minute I spent in my jammies on the couch!
As it got later, my hubby reminded me that I had wanted to go to Barron's for dinner. {{ insert eye roll emoji }} That was probably days prior to my actual enjoyment of lying on the couch doing absolutely nothing. At that moment, I didn't care if we ate leftovers or even ate at all. I did n.o.t. want to put real clothes on, makeup, or do my hair to go sit in a restaurant waiting for my meal when I could have just stayed put instead.
But then...
He had to go there and remind me that I had just had a lunch appointment about a business opportunity a few days prior. If I could go meet someone else for lunch, couldn't I make an effort to have dinner with him? Ouch.
I did get up. I did get dressed. I did put on makeup. I even did my hair and put on jewelry. We enjoyed ourselves. All alone at the table. We took the obligatory Facebook pic, finished our meals, and came home. On a side note, if you've never tried Barron's hot 'n crunchy chicken, you are really missing out.
When we got home, we both got into jammies and vegged the rest of the evening anticipating the kids coming home to cut into the DQ ice cream cake I'd been waiting to eat all day.
I thought about the fact that one day my kiddos will not be living at home. They won't be the reason I wait to eat cake. They will be celebrating their own family's birthdays wherever they decide to live. It will just be me and My Sweet Baboo.
It's a good thing I love him so much!
No one has a perfect marriage. Ours has had its share of issues. However, we work through them. My hubby is my favorite person in the whole wide world. He's more than a soul mate. I've never had a closer best friend. He loves me unconditionally and I love all of him.
When I see photos of couples celebrating 40+ years of marriage; the happy couples cutting a rug alone together like no-one is watching, that's how I see us one day. I'm not good at showing appreciation. I'm much better at the opposite. Fortunately, I'm getting better at expressing my sincere love for the one whom my soul loves. I'm looking forward to many more celebrations with him. Appreciating each one more. Appreciating the last few years I'll have with the beautiful babies who will soon move on with their own lives. I'll hug them tighter and cherish them more. Because, I realize that I won't always be around. I want them to know that I love them no matter what. And I always will.
(This blog post was spurred by a Facebook post I read where a man, Eric Brummer, lost his wife, Breanna. He expressed how so many people said, "If there's anything I can do for you just let me know." In the post Eric reminds us that when we shared our wedding vows we didn't promise to "explode if you don't help with the dishes" or "scream in your face if I don't get the attention I feel I deserve."
When people offered to do "anything" for him, this is what Eric asked from them:
Hold hands.
Hug him.
Kiss her.
No matter what's going on or what's going wrong. Just make sure you love them.)
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