They're Doing it For Us

My husband is a remarkable man. He really is. And I'm not just saying that because I know he'll be reading this within a few days (I always ask him to read my posts - it keeps me honest!) But he really is simply amazing.

Not only does he work full time, leaving the house at 7:15am and rushing to get home by 5:45pm, but he also manages several rental properties (including our own home) and is totally focused on me and the boys when he walks through the door. You'd never know the weight of things he carries on his shoulders when he's playing with Jack and Ben. It's a beautiful thing. The boys can hardly contain themselves when they hear daddy coming up the stairs. They know their daddy is going to be ready to pounce as soon as he runs through that door!!

I was talking on the phone with Andy this afternoon and he was telling me about some of the extra responsibilities he's taken on at work. He's working on a big project that challenges him to get home 'on time' and keeps his mind racing even after he's left the office. It consumes much of our conversation on the weekend and sometimes, we need to explicitly tell ourselves to talk about something else. I listened to him a moment, then said, "Andy, I know you're doing this project for work, but I know you're really doing it for me. And the boys. Thank you." That really struck a chord with him. He even thanked me for saying that!

Isn't that the truth? No matter how much our husbands' work lives affect them, no matter how much they seem to tie up their thought process and add extra responsibilities to their already full plate, we need to remember. They're doing it all for us.

It's not enough just to appreciate what our husbands do for us. We need to tell them. Because I can't even tell you how much that statement seemed to mean to Andy. I've got to keep that one in mind!

And for those of you that think I'm exaggerating about how amazing my husband is, I'd just like to point out the fact that at this moment - at 10:26pm - he is washing our floors on his hands and knees. The entire floor, from the kitchen, to the dining room to the living room. He's even moving the boys' toys and the dining room chairs to get every square inch. Now if that's not love, I don't know what is.

Maybe that comment meant even more than I originally thought... ;)