Yesterday wa
s my husband’s birthday (and I promise, this is the last birthday post). So this entry is about gratitude.
People have been doing gratitude challenges of Facebook for some time now. A friend would challenge another friend to post 5 things he/she is grateful for every day for a week. One of my friends even did it for a year! I like seeing these posts and I wonder what happens when the challenge is done. Does the person continue acknowledging what he/she is grateful for or do they go back to the status quo of complaining, moaning, and winging?
One of my husband’s love languages is “words of affirmation” (check out the book “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman) so for me, it is important to show gratitude each and every day. Mind you, I’m not perfect, I don’t always get it right. I start each day with the intent to affirm what I think is wonderful and be grateful for the life that I live, thanks to my husband.
Going on a self-development quest like I have over the past 15+ years isn’t always easy for the person married to the explorer. First, they have to bear with you “finding yourself”, then the constant change in language and psycho babble, and finally the integration of the new you. It’s tough work seeing that is likely that somewhere along the way, the person waiting in the wings is used as a guinea pig in the ever-changing experiments on how to fix yourself. My husband has patiently stood by and heard me bitch (I call it motivational speaking), cry, accuse and try to fix him all in the name of my self-development. He has weathered the storm and with only one request – no hypnotherapy on him.
My husband has been a rock of security, a foundation of hard work, and as patient as anyone I’ve ever met. He supports me in the ways he can and gives me a cheer when things go my way. He’s the basis of a lot of my stories in my book as well as in my workshops and he happily smiles at how having a quirky behaviour can end up being a half-day workshop.
For all that you’ve endured husband, THANK YOU!
We’ve been together for over 20 years. And it looks as if we will be together for another 20 more. And that is something I’m truly grateful for.