On Monday my wife left me with the children for the week to attend a residential course connected with her job. I knew she’d be torn between wanting to go – because frankly she’ll have a nice and relaxing week away from the bustle and drama of family life – and wanting to stay – because she loves her kids and will miss them while she’s away.
The course didn’t start until midday, so on Monday morning I did something I haven’t done before. I went out and bought some fresh fruit, various soft drinks, and some luxury foods and made a food parcel for her.
The standard of food on those residential courses can be atrocious so it felt good sending her off with some fruit and some nice drinks. I included some luxury cookies, chocolates and candies – of the type we wouldn’t usually have at home. I chose carefully and made sure I included some new things she’d never tried before to add a little extra dimension to the experience.
I also picked up a few roses in a presentation carry-case to put on the table in her room so there would be a refreshing aroma and the place would be brightened.
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed putting that together and how it cheers me to get a quick message from her telling me how much she’s enjoying the food parcel. She’s even shared some of the items with the other people on the course which was an added bonus and something I hadn’t really thought about.
It must have been a nice ice breaker when my wife shared the big box of cookies with the others.
I really loved this because my wife didn’t expect it at all. It was a real surprise. The fact that she was so pleased made me feel great, and because the contents will last for the entire week, I know she’ll get some enjoyment from it everyday.
Another entirely unexpected upside was that my wife was feeling guilty that she was leaving me with the four children, two of whom were sick with flu before she left. The gesture told her that I wasn’t resentful that she was going away. She left for her course guilt free, smiling and feeling loved.
I feel compelled to point out that this wasn’t a deliberate attempt to improve my marriage, it was a genuinely spontaneous act and that’s where the real joy came from.
It felt amazing to inject a little spontaneous happiness into my marriage. Just a small gesture can have such a broad impact, and somewhere along the line I’d forgotten the power of doing the little things.
It’s still very early on in the process of repairing my marriage but someday I’d like to think I could produce a list of successful marriage tips. One steps at a time though! One step at a time!
Thanks for reading.
Andy
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Thank you, Andy
