Three Things My Wife Does That Mean The World To Me
If you’ve been married for any length of time and have a healthy relationship with your spouse, you have probably come to really appreciate certain things that they do for you. I’m not talking about big things or overly expensive things. Rather I am referring to the simple every day sorts of gestures that when it comes right down to it, mean more than anything because they truly show how much they care.
For me there are a lot of things that I greatly appreciate about my wife but there are three things in particular that on the surface seem completely mundane but really mean the world to me.
1. A thoughtfully packed lunch – I never used to bring a lunch with me to work. Either I’d skip lunch, or grab a bite to eat at the grocery store or a local restaurant. Somewhere along the way Monika thought it would be good for me to regularly eat a lunch that was somewhat nutritious and not over priced (and she new that I would never pack a lunch myself). So she began making me a lunch.
I really had a hard time with this at first and tried to tell her not to worry about it (I’m not sure she really knew how hard it was for me to let her do that). I’m a grown up after all, I don’t need someone making a lunch for me in the morning. Yet, after a period of time I came to look forward to opening up my lunch to see what was inside.
It’s not that they are extravagant lunches. In fact on most days they are probably no different than the vast majority of homemade lunches taken to work or school. But each time I open up my REI lunch bag and look inside I can’t help but feel special. The fact that my wife took the time first thing in the morning to make me a lunch is incredible and while they are not fancy lunches I can always tell that she tried to included things in the lunch that I would enjoy.
2. Treats from the grocery store – Along the same lines as specially made lunches, Monika quite frequently brings home some sort of item from the grocery store that she knows I will enjoy. For example, I have a thing for old school bubble gum. Specifically “Big League Chew” or “Bubble Tape.” It is essentially the same gum but in different configuration and it is such a kiddie thing to like, but it takes me back to my childhood.
Anyway, the other day I opened the cupboard looking for a little something to eat and there it was, a perfectly pink roll of Bubble Tape. In general I am a very devout mint gum chewer. I may enjoy the occasional cinnamon or fruit flavored gum here and there but when it comes to my everyday chew, it’s gotta be mint. I say all of this to point out that this is not a normal thing for us to have in cupboard, but Monika went out of her way to pick up a pack for me because she knew I’d enjoy it.
3. Freshly pressed shirts – A few months ago Monika took it upon herself to grab several shirts from my closet to iron. I can’t recall if it was because I hadn’t been wearing anything nice for several days, I needed a shirt pressed for a particular occasion or she just heard me talk about being tired of ironing my collared shirts. In any event she ironed several of them for me without any coaxing.
This is the sort of thing that I had resisted for quite some time (along with having my lunch made) because I didn’t think it was necessary to have someone iron my shirts. After all, I’m a grown man and am perfectly capable ironing my own shirts. I felt as though I would be taking advantage of her if I allowed her to iron my shirts, even if she offered to. I guess you could say that I didn’t want to be your “traditional” husband that expected his wife to do all of the domestic chores. Nevertheless that small gesture really showed me how much she cares and I always appreciate it when I find a couple of freshly pressed shirts in my closet.
As simple as these little things are, I look at them as incredible acts of love and I am reminded of just how blessed I am to be married to such a wonderful woman every time I pull on a crisp shirt, or open my lunch to find a favorite childhood treat.
Monika, thank you for the little things.
What does your spouse do that means the world to you?
Posted on April 5th, 2011 by David | 8 Comments »
This is so sweet! Thank you for recognizing these gestures as the love gifts that they are. You certainly are blessed with a WONDERFUL wife!
I am incredibly blessed. Monika truly is wonderful!
Oh…I forgot to share the special things your dad does for me…
He always brings a blanket to cover me up…even if I’m not cold!
He clears away my dirty dishes after a meal.
He makes the bed when he gets up…even though HE doesn’t care about it but he knows I don’t like to go to bed in a messy bed.
Just a few of many
I think that the small things are in many ways more special than the big things. Perhaps that’s just because of my personality and what I enjoy in life but it’s nice to be aware of the fact that it doesn’t have to be an over the top sort of gesture.
I like the simple things like words of encouragement and unexpected hugs!
Adam, I completely resonate with words of encouragement. That goes a long way for me and really feel valued and appreciated when someone gives me a heartfelt complement.
By the way, spent some time on your blog today and really enjoyed it.
*For those of you who have not visited Adam’s site, you should… http://www.thedailywalk.net/
Wow – great idea David. You do have a beautiful and thoughtful wife you really loves you
Greg does so many things for me – it’s hard to name them all. He always makes coffee in the morning and then brings me a cup in bed! I do my devotions and check through my emails on my iPhone in the morning when I first wake up – and he knows I love this time to myself – and because he is self-employed and works from home that’s just one of the ways he shows he cares. Often times it is more than coffee – a scone or a muffin too! He also makes the bed when he gets up and does the kitchen clean-up EVERY DAY! That is a real blessing to me – because I love to cook – but hate cleaning!
Greg is probably the most thoughtful guy I have ever met. I really enjoyed working with greg and seeing how he was willing to do the little things to make ministry a success. It doesn’t surprise me that that carries over to the way he takes care of you and your family.