I laughed to try and dilute the fact that I was telling him something he already knew.
“There’s still some of that nice air freshener left,” I commented kindly.
The underlying message was “don’t forget to spray air freshener like I do.”
“I’ll set it out so I don’t forget,” he replied while pulling the air freshener out of the cabinet.
What a guy.
I think one of the hardest things about marriage is that men and women are very different and the daily dance you partake in is learned over time. Men don’t think like women do, and my husband certainly doesn’t think like I do. Honestly, a lot of the time I think that there’s things around the house or with the children that I’m better at. Maybe some of you think the same way in your own marriage. Perhaps we’re right, but perhaps, also, God created us this way for a purpose. We all have our strengths and weaknesses that when meshed together create an amazing family unit. At our house together we work well, our differences blend nicely, and I strive to see the wonderful gift of my husband each day (even though he doesn’t do things like I do). As you can see I still have work to do when it comes to micromanaging and trusting the way he gets the job done, but I’m trying.
I told him last night, but again this morning I left him a note.
It read,
Thank you for all the many things you do for us. I couldn’t do it without you.
And nothing could be more true than those words. Marriage was a partnership, and I couldn’t do the many things I do without his support and contribution. So even if he didn’t do things the same way I would do, he got things done. Sometimes I couldn’t help myself from trying to make sure he did, but he knew I respected and appreciated him.
My husband just doesn’t do things the way I do, but that’s okay. He does a phenomenal job in his own way.
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This article originally appeared at BrieGowen.com.