Last night, I went to bed before the kids.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a night owl.
The kids tucked me into bed with their soft kisses and gentle “goodnights,”
and made peace with the fact that Daddy was going to have to put them to bed,
without the presence of Mommy {or Mum, as Finn calls me}.
I had a migraine….
and there was slim chance of me making it another minute
with the light and noise involved with the bedtime routine.
I woke when Husby finally made his way into our bed.
Half asleep, I asked if he had stayed up late.
He told me that I had already been asleep for SIX hours, meaning it was after 2 a.m.
My heart sunk realizing that he must have stayed up getting things done around the house for me.
This is what he does.
He feels bad going to work and leaving the kids and I,
especially over the weekend when most families are spending it together.
He explained to me that he had cleaned up the kitchen from dinner,
packed the car for today’s soccer games,
folded laundry…
and cut out most of the black laminated cardstock spiders
needed for one of our son’s classroom door decorations for his upcoming Red Ribbon Week.
Husby quickly fell asleep for the three hours that remained
before he needed to get up and head out for a 48-hour shift at the fire station.
As he left this morning, he kissed me goodbye,
letting me sleep a few more precious moments before the pandemonium of the day ahead began.
During a rare moment of peace,
I started thinking about the book I read so many years ago on the different languages of love.
Clearly Husby shows his love for me through acts of service.
It isn’t unusual for him to stay up to the wee hours of the morning folding laundry
and tidying up the house so I don’t have as much to do the next day.
The funny thing is….
is that we don’t necessarily speak the same love language.
He loves gifts, acts of service {wink},
and words of affirmation, while I soak up affection and quality time with him.
Even though his late night didn’t involve affection and quality time spent together,
I still knew, that what he did was his way of showing his love for me.
Love is not only a noun…. but a verb!
This was his way of loving me!
Maybe someday, when the kids are all grown…
love might look like romantic dinner dates…
dreamy long walks on a stranded beach…
big bouquets of unexpected flowers…
and intimate nights spent in deep conversations
while gazing longingly in each others eyes…
but for now, for us…
love translates into folding laundry,
watching the kids so I can grab coffee with a girlfriend,
unloading the dishwasher,
putting the kids to bed…
and lets not forget,
cutting out endless amounts of awkwardly shaped spiders!
Hmm…
maybe with the arrival of our four little ones,
and our current crazy {but wouldn’t change it for the world} chaos,
my love language has seriously changed!
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Thank you to the most awesome Husby a girl could ever dream of!!!
I APPRECIATE the way you love me!
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P.S. Even though affection and quality time still rank high on my list of priorities
with respect to feeling loved…
this wifey does greatly appreciate Starbucks on your way home from work
{just in case you’re reading this, my handsome Husby}!
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{The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts: Gary D Chapman}