But thankful doesn't even begin to cover how I feel for him.
For a dad who dresses up according to the whims of his children and their favorite tv shows.
Who sets up lego car races for them and their friends--with marshmallow trophies to boot.
For a husband who spends his weekends and nights building bookshelves for me.
Who goes back to school to protect his family's future and set an example for his children.
Who goes out of his way to demonstrate his love--like when he buys me Diet Dr. Pepper or peanut butter M&Ms but hides them away so that he can deliver them like a hero when I have a craving but the store is already closed or it's a Sunday. Or like when I come home to unexpected clean bathroom and vacuumed floor. These are my love languages, for sure.
For a partner in this crazy life who makes me laugh and feel grateful every single day.
At the Cinco de Mayo party this year, in the sombrero one of the sisters made for him. Ha!
Nope, thankful doesn't even begin to cover it.
"New studies support the idea that gratitude is an integral part of healthy relationships. As marriages move past the honeymoon stage, couples go from appreciating and loving every little detail about each other to taking each other for granted. Amie Gordon, a psychologist from U.C. Berkeley, blames this for the downfall of many relationships: 'You get used to having [your spouse] in your life and forget why you chose to be with them.' We become deadened to our spouse’s special qualities and instead focus on things that annoy us about them.
"Dr. Gordon’s study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology explores the role of gratitude and appreciation in maintaining long and healthy relationships. In the study, 50 committed couples were given a week to fill out appreciation journals. On days when one partner reported feeling more appreciated, he or she tended to appreciate his or her partner more the next day....The researchers concluded that a nourishing cycle of encouragement and appreciation provides extra incentive to maintain our relationships. In other words, when we appreciate our partners, we develop trust and respect. When we feel appreciated, we feel needed and encouraged.
"Luckily, our behavior and thoughts are malleable; just as we fell out of patterns of love and gratitude, we can grow back into them....Start with small and easily achievable goals, such as giving your spouse five compliments a day, or simply smiling at her more often."
From "Does Gratitude Matter in Marriage?" by Dr. Susan Heitler for Psychology Today
4 comments:
Great post, Leigh. I'm glad you two have each other!
you definitely have a gem there.
Love him to death!
Wait, did I just read that right?!? Is he going to BYU? If so, the world is ending sooN!
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