He read Proverbs 31 and bought me a ring. He drove home and stuffed it safely into his shoe in the back of the closet in his ghetto apartment. Because shoes are the proper deterrent within a complex where many a movie night had been interrupted by gunshots. (Or was it just a car backfiring?)
He’d planned to propose on Valentine’s Day. Because that sounded perfect. I’m glad he didn’t. Because that sounds cliched.
He held onto the ring for one week. Til he couldn’t stand it any longer. (Checking the inside of your shoes several times a day can wear a guy down.)
The proposal
He woke at dawn and drove 5 hours to ask my dad’s permission for my hand in marriage. My dad was running errands, so he had to make small talk with my mom for a hour before he could get the chore done. My dad’s response was simply, “Does it matter if I say yes or no?,” and hugged him.
He climbed back into the car and drove 5 hours to my apartment where he had to make small talk with my best friend for an hour until she got the hint and left. Then he recited a poem and proposed. We celebrated with wine, phone calls, and crab legs.
He’s generous that way. And he’s made my journey from sleep deprived to joy-arrived possible over these last 6 years.
For the love of sleep
I need 10 hours of sleep every night – that’s a HUGE amount, and I get 8 to 9 most nights during the week. On the weekends, I sleep til EIGHT O’CLOCK because no meetings force me out of bed.
I can prioritize sleep because of the care my husband takes and the love he gives every morning and every night.
His mornings look like waking up and feeding boys and drawing pictures of tow trucks and mediating sibling disputes and locating the perfect pair of pants to match a firetruck shirt and packing lunches and herding everyone towards toothbrushes and out the door for school.
His evenings look like vegetable-packed, home-cooked meals – whether he’s there to enjoy them with us or not. Because on Sundays, he grocery shops and cooks. The nightly chore of cooking isn’t something this momma has to manage. This leaves me time for the boys, to maybe pick up around the house or to grade papers or respond to client requests. And most importantly, to get to bed when I need to.
I have a stable sleep routine now because of his care. I can indulge in blessed, rejuvenating, joy-enducing sleep because of his love.
Doubtful I live up to the ideals of the Proverbs 31 wife these days, but this 19-year ride has been worth it. And thus this verse rings true:
“She can LAUGH at the days to come.”
How does your partner make sleep – and other self-care goals – possible in your life? Share your thoughts below or on Facebook at MothersRest.
Photo credit, featured image: Kranich17 from Pixabay.com