This weeks topic is: Nurturing love and friendship in marriage "Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other..." (Family Proclamation, paragraph 6)
I have been married for going on ten years, phew, can you believe I am that old? I was able to marry my best friend. In the years that we have been married, we have been abundantly blessed to grow in affection, adoration and respect for one another. On a sad note we have seen several seemingly great relationships end in divorce. It is heartbreaking, the thought of families falling apart is so sad. I truly understand the importance of a mother and father in the home. Both Jeremy and I come from families that resulted in divorce. We both know of the emptiness that can result from the lack of having our father in our home rooting for you, or teaching you the things that only a father can. I was fortunate enough that my dad always lived close but my mom also remarried and she found quite the catch.
When we first got married I would get so frustrated and stomp off. I knew that I am fairly similar to a tea pot. I simmer, simmer, simmer, then blow. He, on the other hand, never simmers, and never blows. He has always been patient with me and knows when to let me blow off steam, then I am reasonable. We have found better ways to communicate. Some of our favorite times are when we are sitting in our living room just chatting away about anything and everything. It is not always fascinating to both of us, but we each take our turns pretending that we are interested. Truthfully, even the stuff "I don't care" about, is educational. I learn who my husband is, who he is becoming, and who he wants to be. We all change over time as we gain experience in life. I definitely do not want to wake up when our kids are grown and wonder, who is this man that I married and where did he come from?
We have a relationship where we both get to play strength and weakness, luckily it has been at different times. Although it was a hard time when my husband was struggling with a stressful situation, he felt like falling apart, I was able to be his strength, to encurage him and just be a support. It was hard to watch my rock, fall apart. On the otherside though, it was wonderful to be his rock. I learned how important I was to our relationship. He is not perfect but he is to me, so I feel I fall short of deserving him. This was one of the first times that I felt worthy of all his hard work and dedication to our family. Of course he is my strength every other day, when he comes home from work to a messy house, pans boiling over, kids screaming, and me at my wit's end. He comes home, gives me a kiss and a squeeze, even when I give him the infamous "Hill look" then gets right down to business, usually filling up milk cups, then changing poopy pants. Followed quickly by starting the laundry, getting the kids to clean up after miraculously only asking one time. Setting the table, and hugging me again.
In all the ways that I feel inadequate, he accepts me and loves me. I know his devotion to me will never waiver. Of that I am confident. This is all about how my companion and best friend loves and nurtures me. I get to love and nurture our relationship too,. What means the most to him is all the cooking. The saying that the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach is so true in our marriage. I learned fairly quickly that my man can eat. He was patient as I learned to cook. Now he would claim I am a good cook. Don't take that too seriously, his taste buds are pretty easy to please.
Together we try to make the moments we get to be together quality and memorable, making sure to laugh and enjoy that time we get. One of our favorite dates is when we put the kids to bed and get dinner and dessert take out and putting on a good movie. It is those moments that really help bond us as friends and as husband and wife. I love him so much and cannot think of a better person to spend all of my life and there after with, the best part is that I know that he feels the same way.
1 comment:
This is a very sweet post. I love it. I hope when Brian and I have been married 10 years we're doing as well as you two.
Post a Comment