Father’s Day Every Day

At least it should be that way in my household, as we’re always striving for balance, not only in work versus home life, but also in chores versus spouse. I’ve mentioned before that my husband has taught me a thing or two about cleaning, and because of this, and the fact that he works part-time versus my full-time schedule, he does a lot of the cleaning. He vacuums, dusts, mops, pulls weeds, keeps the garage clean , does dishes, and, and… Each day I arrive home from work and with very few exceptions, the house is cleaner and more picked up than when I left that morning. He cooks me breakfast, lets me leave my dishes in the sink, helps me pack my lunch, and all with a smile and a big kiss!

I do my part, mostly bathrooms and kitchen, although he’ll do these as well. A couple of years ago I figured out that one of the best presents I can give him is to clean the house.  This weekend I’ve scheduled alone time, if that is what he chooses, the opportunity to run a race in the mountains, and one of his favorite meals. What he doesn’t know is that I also plan on cleaning whenever he is out so that when he returns home, he can relax, both mentally and physically!

But really, I do these things every day, in little ways. And in this way, there is value in the typical roles being reversed. I know how difficult his job of staying home with the kids is, because I’ve done it. I know how frustrating it is to pick up toys all day long only to have them spread out again when you turn around. And he knows how harsh the corporate world can be, that office politics suck, and that I’m tired from sitting at a computer all day. We’ve always shown love in little [some would say] mundane ways like, me having the coffee ready each morning followed by his ‘thank you’,  go further than flowers. Me emptying the dishwasher while he’s still in bed one morning is a gift that can’t be bought in a store. Happy Father’s Day, to my best friend!

Tags: balance, Father's Day, housework, marriage