Yesterday I was talking to my niece about the ways that people show love. I told her that part of growing up is realizing that people demonstrate their love in different ways and learning to accept those demonstrations at face value. This is a lesson I have had to learn over and over again. My Favoritest shows his love by taking out the trash and making sure to run the dishwasher before he comes to bed. He does his best to sing to Doodle when he puts her to bed by himself. Doodle shows her love for our pups by bringing them bones and toys. Occasionally she even shares her favorite windowsill with Zoe. Doodle's friend BB shows love for her friends by making sure they have their belongings at all times. It's easy to see the love in these examples, if you are paying attention. Sometimes it's harder to see. Sometimes we can be hurt by someone's honesty and they were trying to be a loving and caring friend. Sometimes love is shelter from a storm and an open door policy. Sometimes love is spending $3 to send a post card from Europe to your grand daughter who can't read but loves to get mail.
And sometimes love is messy... like when you are combing vomit out of a toddler's hair at 7:45 in the morning. That being said, there were not going to be any photos of the people I love today. It's been a bit of a pajama day today given the start to our day. It was also a lazy morning filled with Elmo, Jake and the Pirates, and more Elmo. After getting Doodle down for a nap, I decided I better get busy ironing. It is one of my least favorite jobs. It is never ending. My Favoritest is expected to wear dress pants and a button up shirt anytime he is at the hospital. The only exception to this is the 10-15 days a year he spends in the cath lab and can wear scrubs. Oh how I love those weeks! Because every shirt and pair of pants must be washed and then ironed. I promise, I don't live in the dark ages. I know about wrinkle free clothing. I have tried to convince him of those lines at his favorite stores (even went so far as to offer Brooks Brothers wrinkle free shirts). No go. He likes starch. He like them ironed. In another lifetime I would have A) sent it to the dry cleaners or B) told him to do it himself. In this lifetime, our budget doesn't allow for dry cleaning daily clothes and time is just as valuable. I posted a few days ago about being given the gift of time when we moved. Unfortunately for my Favoritest he was given the gift of working a million hours a week and limited time to actually enjoy life. So in this lifetime, I rarely ask him to do his own ironing. I do it. And I used to complain about it. A lot! And then one day, I was ironing and started thinking about why I do the ironing for him. Gradually, the job became a labor of love. I strangely started like to the instant gratification of getting shirt sleeves pressed. I hope that when he gets up before the sun rises, stumbles out of the shower and into the closet, and picks out his clothes (from the largest collection of dress shirts and khaki pants known to man) he feels a little bit of love knowing that they are all ironed and ready. I know it sounds a little 50's house wifeish, but I have a sense of pride that he goes to work in well ironed clothes. So here is my picture of love....
My grandmother, dad's whole extended family, & Uncle Ralph showed me love by cooking great meals, & I'm continuing the tradition!!!
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