The Little Things

Hello again!! First off, I want to say "thank you", to each and every one of you who took the time to read my first post. I hope we can all benefit from this expedition I have taken. I'm excited to see where it leads and I am so thankful for your support. I'm not going to lie, I waited a few days before I shared my post, because I was worried no one would like it. Thanks for proving me wrong, guys! :)

Today, I started to think about the little things in life. It made me think of all the little things we take for granted, the little things we nag about, the little things we miss, and the little things that mean the absolute world to us. Life is made up of A LOT of little things. That may sound like a "duh" statement, but just think about it, really think about it. How many little things do we stress over, that in reality, are not worthy of the stress and anxiety? How many little things do we nag to our spouse about, that usually end up in an argument or at least causes tension? Or how about, how many little things do you actually recognize and take the time to thank God, your spouse, family member or even co-worker?

Why is it that all of us women feel we need to mother our husbands? Yes, men are not at all made like us, but that's the beauty of the relationship between a man and a woman. I know this may come as a newsflash for some of us, but guess what, he already has a mom, he doesn't need another one. You are his wife, the peanut butter to his jelly, the white to his rice, the half that makes him whole, and any other corny comparison you can put in place there. You get my point. Where am I going with this, you ask? I feel like since we try to always mother our husbands, we end up nagging and fretting over little petty things in life, that honestly can be so dumb when you think about it.

I'm going to give some examples of things I've nagged over or heard others nag about:
-"He puts the toilet paper on the wrong way"--just be glad he put a new roll of toilet paper back on AT ALL! I mean seriously. haha
-"He didn't put all the dishes in their proper locations"--again, be thankful he even tried to help you. (side note: if you complain about it every time he tries, he will quit trying)
-"He doesn't put his clothes in the hamper"--make jokes about it until he gets the point. I say this from my own experience, because this very thing irked me so much. I'd laugh when I talked to him about it, saying things like, "really baby, you dropped your pants 2 inches from the hamper, is it that hard to just drop it IN the hamper?". I'd say it all with a smile on my face and a giggle in my voice. He ended up laughing about how he wasn't sure why he did that. Now, he continually tries to make an effort to put them in the hamper. You may think, he's not going to take you serious unless you raise your voice or "show him whose boss", but men respond differently than women. (Most, at least.) Yell at him, and he will shut you out. Talk with him, and he will listen. (Even, if he doesn't respond, he is listening and it WILL sink in). 

All those scenarios may seem like insignificant issues, but all those little issues build up, if you let it. Don't let petty issues ruin your relationship!

Instead, look for all those little things you can be thankful for. For instance, the other day my husband called me at work and asked if I would ride with him to pick up a check from a client (he's self-employed). He said it was for no reason, other than the fact he enjoyed my company and wanted to spend time with me. That, to me, is a "little things mean the most" moment. He's surprised me at work, occasionally, with "just because" flowers. Another thing he does, especially recently, is ask me to join him hunting. I do not enjoy one thing about hunting. It's cold, you can't talk, your phone dies (because you've been playing on it, out of boredom), and did I mention, it's cold. But guess what, I go because he asked me. I go because I love seeing him enjoy something he's passionate about. I go because it's a way to spend time with him. I go, simply because I love him. Does he realize I don't enjoy it? Yes. Do I complain about it while I'm with him? No. You do things you don't necessarily love, because you simply love that person.

The same applies for him doing things with and for me. Even if he has no interest in it, he does it  because he knows that's what I love and enjoy. Love is all about give and take. It's also about picking your battles.

Choose today to look for the things in life that fit into the "little things mean the most" category, and let him know how much it means to you.


Talk with you soon!

-Laura