The Little Things

Before Eric I had 3 or 4 "serious" relationships, and now having been married for almost a year, the biggest difference I see in my relationship with Eric in comparison to the others comes from the smallest things; things as easy as being nice to each other, and being thoughtful. We definitely have our moments, or days, where we feel tired or stressed and will be a bit more testy, but after being together for 2 years, married for nearly 1, and having two kids to raise, our ability to remain kind to one another truly amazes me at times.

Eric never stops surprising me. Sometimes I'll be dealing with both kids and assume he is on the couch on his phone or laptop, and without even really knowing, I'll get an attitude towards him; only to go into the kitchen to find that the dishes are being put away and the oven pre-heated for dinner. It takes little moments like this for me to step back and scold myself for assuming anything else. It also makes me gush over how appreciative and lucky I feel to have a husband who is such a great help. There are mornings where I want to scream because his breakfast dishes are sitting in the sink, and others where I went to bed with a sink-full of dinner dishes and wake up with them washed and put away. It may be a small gesture, but when I wake up with him gone off to work, and the dishes are done, it's as if he left me a dozen roses; just taking a few moments out of his morning to make my day a little easier, and show me that he was thinking of me. And when he's home from work, if there's ever a time that I'm sitting down with my feet up, he'll grab them and give them a rub. Even just for a few minutes, but it's so thoughtful and feels amazing after rocking a newborn and chasing a toddler all day.

I try and return the favor to the best of my mother & wife abilities; I'll have the baby fed (or bottle made) when he's home from work so she won't scream for him when I go for my daily run, I'll have his work and gym clothes for the following day washed and put away, I'll have a dinner plan waiting, and if I have any ounce of energy left once the girls are asleep - I'll give him a back massage. Each thing small, but they're thoughtful and make his day just a bit easier.

I know I often blog about how happy I am and how lucky I feel - but it's true, and I find that these little gestures towards each other make for a happy foundation in our marriage. I told Eric the other day that it means more for him to help me fold the laundry than it would if he brought home flowers or chocolate from work. Although, you can never go wrong with chocolate, either ;)