“The world is, the world is,
Love and life are deep,
Maybe as his eyes are wide.”
I don’t tell my husband nearly often enough that he is a good father and a good husband–and that I love him to bits. This has been on my mind for awhile, but what really got me thinking about it was when a dear friend (you know who you are) quoted the very wise words of one Mr. Fred Rogers, who said:
“One of the strongest things we have to wrestle with in our lives is the significance of the longing for perfection in ourselves and in the people bound to us by friendship or parenthood or childhood.”
Mark often tells me that nothing is ever enough for me, and some of that statement is very true. I admit it: I’m an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist and not easily satisfied by anything or anyone. It’s not a quality of which I’m proud, and I know it must not be easy to be my husband. After all, I often don’t acknowledge all the work Mark does for us. He is our family’s only chef and grocery shopper, and he helps out with the laundry, too. He shoulders an equal amount of the childcare, and he shovels, mows, weeds, and plants. He keeps electronic equipment in our house running smoothly, and he’s the kind of husband who makes his wife’s oatmeal–with blueberries, bananas, flax, and walnuts–every morning without complaint. He’s also the kind of father who tucks “I love you” notes into his daughter’s lunch bag each day–and who speaks in a falsetto to his son to make him laugh.
This past weekend, Mark was blasting a song that I detest–Rush’s “Tom Sawyer”–and was dancing with Ava (who LOVES the song) and Emmett. Watching them, out of the corner of my eye, I knew I was tremendously blessed to have this family–to be with these incredible people. But instead of expressing this sentiment aloud to Mark, I complained about the volume of the music. And I truly, sincerely regret that. Because I should have just looked my husband in the eye, told him how much I love him, and joined that dance party.
Mark, I love you. I’ll never love “Tom Sawyer,” but I’ll dance to it with you anywhere. 😉