My girlfriends envy the fact that my husband helps make the bed, do the laundry and wash the dishes. For some reason they don't understand that he also helps wrinkle the sheets, soil the clothes and dirty the dishes.
My life partner is helpful, not perfect. If he were perfect, he'd give away the clothes he hasn't worn since the dawn of...our marriage. Looking through his side of our closet is like taking a trip down memory lane and each year the trip gets longer.
John can't help it. He was genetically predispositioned to be a saver. I'm not. If something's not useful, beautiful or extremely sentimental, it's gone. John often expresses relief that he still fits two of those requirements.
A man's work is never done - according to my husband. I agree. It's postponed until after "the game". Man and woman's work is different in every marriage. I was in charge of the family budget until Staff Sergeant Doe got out of the Army.
At that time keeping track of our money only required knowing whether the last numbers in our checkbook were written in black or red ink. Nevertheless, the groom who'd said, "I do" now said "he could do" a better job of handling the family finances - something about debits and credits.
Civilian Doe has had the job ever since. He grumbles loudest at tax time, but I'm there to lovingly remind him that he can do a better job.
My other half works from his office and I work from mine. He wanted the smaller office and he was right. It fits him perfectly. It's two of his file cabinets that don't fit. They're in my office. As the uncontracted contractor for our home's remodeling, my saintly spouse spends a lot of time in his perfect office.
My husband doesn't like this house. For him the ocean view doesn't compensate for it being small and starting to show its age - although I'm not sure how old thirty-six is in people years. I'm just grateful his remodeling of the bathrooms includes indoor plumbing.
I'm most grateful, however, for being married to my best friend. Among many other reasons, the money I save by not having to buy separate cards and gifts for a best friend is money "John" can spend on his best friend - me.
