Marriage Mondays: My Job, Your Job

Every Monday I'll be joining The Runamuck and a host of other married bloggers in writing letters to our spouses. The hope is that by seeing people go after their marriages, you'll go after yours harder . Marriage is in fact hard, complicated, messy, terrifying, and absolutely heart wrenchingly beautiful. And it's worth fighting and writing for. This weeks theme is 'My Job, Your Job.'



My Dear Husband,

Yesterday you did all the laundry for me. You filled the dishwasher, wiped down the counter tops, and cleaned up the mess I'd made after baking 500 cake balls (which I promise to never do again.) This morning you made the bed, cleaned up our room, and took the dogs out, all before sitting down to shove a bowl of cereal in before work, and all because I'd accidentally slept in and you pitched in to get our morning routine done.

Ours is not a traditional relationship. You're a better cook then me and you certainly enjoy it more too for one. I work full time and so do you, and between the both of us the housework, meals, laundry, and pet duties (for two dogs and two cats) somehow gets done. I don't foresee being able to be a stay at home wife or mother in the near future and I love that you are okay with that. I love that you have embraced anything I've wanted to do or be. But this means that you've had to chip in with the 'unmanly' chores and responsibilities.....the cleaning, the sweeping, the laundry, the care-taking (for crazy nonna and my dad) and you're man enough to be okay with that.

In a lot of ways, you have it harder. You work hard and long at a job I know is not exactly you're dream, a place you don't feel appreciated, but you're diligent and faithful to give it your all both there and at home, and someday I know God's going to give you the job that makes you excited to go into work everyday. For now I'm just happy you're excited to come home to me, baking messes and all!

You are the most amazing partner I could have ever asked to be with on this crazy ride, you take on projects and responsibilities that are not necessarily "yours," never worrying about who's doing more, partnering with me to make our life run as smoothly (and sanely) as possible. As we move toward a family I know life will only get crazier, harder, and more complicated. I know there are things to over come, healing to be had, but I know that whatever comes our way, you're in this with me.

In our marriage I love that there is no "your job, my job" but simply "our job, our life."

I love you and am forever yours (cake balls or not),

Alex