For my other child

I recently came across a blog by a woman by the name of Karen Edmisten who had read a book that gave the forty reasons why someone should not have children.  In response, she wrote a counter blog giving, what she thought, were forty reasons why someone should have children.  They are what you'd expect, clever and inspiring, and infinitely true, and you can find her blog here:

Karen Edmiston

But it wasn't so much what she said about kids that struck me, but the tiny little praises she let slip for her husband.  She didn't reference him directly, but only a woman so taken by love and admiration for her husband would have such grace when talking about a father.  Any father. 

She writes, "When your husband becomes the father of your children, a new man appears: fiercely loving but practical and still-logical, nurturing but fiercely strong and protective. You will fall in love with him all over again."

For those of you that know me, it is no secret that I am madly and boundlessly in love with my Peter, but as girlfriends, wives or moms, we get caught up sometimes in the mundane, and forget to say it.  It is true what Karen says, that desiring children with the man you love is as natural breathing, but when do we step back and say "you're doing a great job?"  I stay home right now, and cook, and clean, and organize, and change, and launder, and fold, and iron and make lunches, and give baths and pack bags, and fix boo boos and change diapers, etc.  I know that I have the lions share of responsibilities around here when it comes to childcare and home organization, and it gets to me sometimes.  But the men in our lives, if we're lucky, have burdens to bear themselves, and it is their responsibility to demonstrate not only to us, but to their children, how to responsible, and hard-working.  How to balance traditional male roles, with more nurturing "fatherly" moments.  We never give them enough credit, and joke about how the house would burn down without us, and this is why they shy away from more serious involvement.  Everything is circular.

So, next time your hubby helps out with a household chore, or bathes the kids, let him know how much it means to the family as a whole.  He'll appreciate you saying it (after all, they are just big kids!) and think of how much you'd love them to say it to you!