Thank Your Spouse

I hate traffic.  And when I say 'traffic,' I'm talking about the rare 2-3 instances a week I have to deal with a 30-40 minute drive in moderately heavy everyone-needs-to-get-to-where-they're-going-before-everyone-else traffic, while Captain Motormouth talks about everything and anything in the back seat, and Admiral Backseat Driver analyzes anything and everything from the front seat, all of it making my head spin.  I fume at the texters, the fiddlers, the not-paying-attentioners, all putting my children at risk because their secondary task is more important than their primary task, which is driving.

Then there's my husband.  He drives 5 times a week, 1 1/2-2 hours to and from work, in heavy kill-or-be-killed traffic.  He expertly (I say 'expertly' because he makes it home alive and in one piece every night) maneuvers around the texters, the fiddlers, the ones with better things to do than drive, carefully making his way to work, or home to us.  At the end of his drive, the last thing he wants to do at night is take over for me, breaking up fights, putting Avery through the bath, and getting the boys through their bedtime routines; he does not want to head back in the direction he just came from to take Noah to Scouts, hang out in town until it's time to pick Noah up from practice, or go to Bible study so that he doesn't get home until 9 pm--but that's what he does. And he does it for us.  Because he loves us.  What I can do for him is have dinner on the table, and his soda in my hand when he walks through the door (don't worry, I draw the line at a smoking jacket and slippers....).  I can greet him with love, enthusiasm and a grateful heart.  He comes home tired and worn out, but he still has a smile for us.

Traffic makes me all the more grateful for my husband. It reminds me to be patient with him, and of all the things he does so I don't have to.  It reminds me that I get to stay home with our kids, which is something we decided is important to our family.  Traffic makes me grateful for all he does for our family, and everything he sacrifices.  I really don't know how he does it.  Four hours on the road each day means four hours lost with our kids, it means time lost for us as a couple, and as a family.  It means his stress level goes up, along with his frustration and blood pressure.  His health takes a huge hit.

Don't forget to thank your spouse.  Tell him or her why you're grateful for all they do, and remind them daily you are thankful just because they're who they are.