Monday, November 21, 2011

Thankful

It’s that time of year…Thanksgiving has once again snuck up on us. I, thanks to my fabulous sister in law, do not have to worry a thing about Thanksgiving, as she hosts each year. So this time of year I can sit back, relax, and reflect on the blessings in my life.  

I have so many things to be thankful for, not the least of which are my three beautiful, healthy, happy children. But this year, I am especially thankful for the man that gave me those three children, my husband Todd.

Todd is the one person in my life that I probably take the most for granted  (not intentionally of course). Todd is such a constant rock in my life that I often forget to give him a well deserved shout out every now and then.  I liken Todd to the foundation of a house…everyone may compliment the siding, décor, or yard of the home but no one ever comments on the foundation, even though that alone is what is keeping everything together. Todd is the foundation of my life.

So this means that most people see me as a Mom first and foremost and forget many times that I am also one half of a wonderful love story.  My office is filled of dozens of pictures of my children, but just one of Todd and I, my facebook postings are almost entirely about the kids. And if they are about Todd, its most often me doing the typical wife complaining about a honey-do list long forgotten! 

I always find it fascinating that the ones we love the most, we sometimes notice the least. Seems backwards, but completely true.   

But I'm not blind to the fact that if it wasn’t for the love Todd and I share, none of this would be here. I wouldn't have been so happy to hear the words "It's a Girl!", I wouldn't get morning hugs from my 18 month old, I wouldn’t be a member of a working Mom blog, I wouldn’t be woken up by the sound of my son saying “Mom, it’s wake up time!”...I probably even wouldn’t have had the courage to leave my former job where I was miserable and start my career in my wonderful firm.

And although I am grateful for Todd himself, this year I am mostly grateful for the fact that after 8 years together, 6 years of marriage, 3 children, and 2 crazy jobs, our love remains solid. In fact I love him miles more every year. I am a child of divorce, every magazine and newspaper talks about divorce, from Kim K’s 72 day marriage to advice on sharing your children in a divorce. So, yes like most people I have a somewhat cynical view of marriage. I think every married couple would agree that in this day in age, society stacks the odds against you when you say “I do”. A marriage then becomes simply beating those odds everyday.

 I am so grateful to have man in my life that helps me beat those odds everyday.  

Now, you know me, I call it like it is…so I’m not going to sit here and tell you that beating the odds is always easy. My husband, like all husbands is well...a man! So there are always going to be the Mars v. Venus complaints. I still have yet to figure out how he can walk past Capri Sun wrappers dropped on the carpet all day and yet appear shocked when I get a soggy sock from stepping on them when I get home. I still pull out empty boxes of cereal or snacks from the pantry that he neglected to throw away. I still wonder how his socks end up by the side of the bed even though there is a laundry basket several inches away. 

So I guess what I am thankful for is that even though Todd is a victim to the typical Husband actions and stereotypes, I can love him through all of that.

I think the thing I am most grateful for with Todd is that he is one of the few people that sees me as “just Mandi”. After three kids, mountains of responsibility, few hours, and sleepless nights we can still look at each other as “Todd and Mandi”. We still laugh till we cry, we still hold hands, we still try to sneak a kiss in the kitchen before we are busted by “EEWWWs” from our peanut gallery. We somehow can find the way to keep our love sheltered from the stresses of parenthood.

And that my friends, is something to be grateful for.



Happy Thanksgiving!

Mandi





2 comments:

  1. So true and so touching. I need to do something sweet for my hubby to say thanks asap.

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  2. Mandi, that's a great picture! It IS fantastic to have a good man in one's life. I didn't marry anyone who made a lot of money or who has rock hard abs, but I did marry someone who is, most of the time, incredibly nice and puts up with me, and is a caring father. Marrying someone who is emotionally "together", and loving, is worth its weight in gold. I'm going to have to remember to be thankful for my husband, too....

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