The Good Wife?

A good wife should not laugh out loud when her husband tells her he is planning on going for a run in the morning.

 

A good wife should not pretend to be asleep in the middle of the night when the munchkins are needing something.

 

A good wife should not be completely reliant on having a decent shot of caffeine brought to her, before she is fully or even partly functioning in the morning.

 

A good wife should not let the pantry become so low that the husband has to have jam sandwiches for his lunch.

 

Sometimes I am not a good wife.  But I am the Spunky Hunk’s wife and I know I am loved, for all the things I do, and all the things I don’t do.  It doesn’t matter to him – he loves me.

The Spunky Hunk and I are coming up to our ten year anniversary this month.  Whoop whoop!  I am very excited by that.  That means we will have been married for nearly a third of our lives (yes we were infants when we said I do!), and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I seriously think I have the best husband in the world.  No, actually, I know it.  I’ve often said that I got the better deal in marrying him.

You want to know the kind of man he is?  He is the kind of man who has held my hair back from my face as I have seen my breakfast for the second time, many many times.  The kind of man who has taught me to drive – in two countries – and never once raised his voice at me or sighed in exasperation.  The kind of man who listens to my problems, concerns and worries and doesn’t try to offer his opinion or a solution.  The kind of man who steals away for time with the Lord, making it a priority and a need, setting an example for the family.  The kind of man who hungers for closeness to God, longs to see acts of God and doesn’t settle for mediocre in any area of his life.

That’s the kind of man I married.  That’s the one who loves me.

We have a mighty fine relationship.  Its been a fun and fulfilling ten years.  We never had the ‘rocky first few months’ of marriage that so many people had warned us of, thanks be to God.

Now I have to say we are not marriage experts.  Yes we are very happy and yes we are on a journey, but experts we are not.  But the one piece of advice I will share today is something that was shared with us by a couple we love, spoken to us when we became engaged.  Their words – ‘respect each other’.  Above all else, respect.

Respecting my husband means that I will not speak ill of the Spunky Hunk.  When the girlfriends gather around and talk becomes sloppy and grudges become public I refuse to join in, I refuse to stoop to that.  Respecting means that I will not nag him, I will not pester.  Respecting my husband means that I will continue to mould myself into a better wife, to meet his needs and to encourage him.

I’ve been having my early morning cup of tea made for me for nearly ten years now.  I am a blessed woman.  I respect my husband and he respects me.  We’re a team.  Roll on the next ten years!