Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Slave, Servant or Saint?

Talking about my husband and the answer is...all 3 lately! I have to take a minute to brag about how lucky I am to have the most amazing husband in the world! We're going on the 3rd month of me feeling terrible which means he has been taking up the slack at home all this time. And it's no easy task! He works in a fast pace environment. He's on the phone all day long talking to people which must be exhausting. I start feeling really bad about 4:30 or 5:00 which is also the time that I start calling to bug him about when he's coming home - I'm trying to work on that...really I am.

By the time he gets home, I'm usually to the point of not being able to stand up without feeling like I need to run to the restroom so I'll have the girls watching something on TV while I lie down and pray for his arrival! So, when he gets home, instead of being able to relax and unwind from his day he starts a new phase of his day. It's Mr. Mom time!

When we're in our normal routine, I usually handle getting the girls ready for bed while he puts away toys and cleans up from dinner. It works out nicely because by the time the girls are down, the house is straightened up and we can relax. But now, if I'm too sick to get up, he has to get the girls ready for bed, tuck them in and then straighten the house all himself. Usually all before he's even had dinner!

That's the evening. The mornings is when he's an even bigger help. The mornings are my other bad time of the day (the middle is bad too but I can usually get a little relief and go on with my day). In the mornings he gets up first thing and makes me a protein shake. I have to have one of these in bed before I can even think about trying to take a shower. Then he gets in the shower during which the girls wake up. Big Bear comes in our room and talks to me while I drink my shake but Me Too is stuck in her crib. Once Doug is out of the shower, he gets dressed and then goes in to take care of the dirty work (diapers that is) that there is no way I could handle. There is no way I could do dirty diapers first thing in the morning - shake or no shake. Next he makes their breakfast (another thing I can't handle in the morning) while he makes his lunch. He usually has them all settled in their high chairs and about the time that I come out from showering and can usually handle it from there.

He does this without complaint (usually) and with such a servant's heart. I'm so proud of him for how he has stepped up to take care of me and our family during this time. I hope he knows that his service to me and the girls is also a way of serving and worshipping God. I hope he knows that his rewards are being stacked up for him in heaven. I hope he knows how much I love and adore him for being such a great husband and father.

I know we don't know a lot about St. Joseph but I feel that this was the type of husband and father he must have been for Mary and Jesus. I imagine him doing household things when Mary was sick or tired. I think that he took Jesus out to play or to his workshop to give Mary a rest when she needed it. And I'm sure he did it without complaint. He might not have always liked everything he was called to do but he did it for his family and to serve His God.

I am so blessed!!

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