My favorite human, Handy Husband, is having a birthday this week.
I think most of us hope we get better with age, but Handy Husband truly has. He never stops learning. He’s endlessly curious and hardworking. He is more open-minded and giving.
He works hard to bring all of my ideas to life and those ideas have not become less complicated over time. Quite the opposite. He’s always up for the challenge though.
One specific thing I appreciate about Handy Husband is that he has become a better listener over the years. He has learned I don’t necessarily want him to always default to problem-solving mode when I tell him about a problem. Most of the time I can fix my own problems, thank you very much. I do, however, want him to listen to what’s going on and empathize.
Sometimes at the end of a long day, I will say to Handy Husband, “Can I tell you about my problems?”
He always says, “Sure. Do you have a list?”
Now that you mention it.
“Number one…,” I begin.
My list of problems may be actual problems. But sometimes when it has been “one of those days” they are silly complaints like the weather has been cloudy for three days straight or my elbow feels dry.
No matter how serious or ridiculous the “problem,” Handy Husband always says something like, “That sounds terrible. What else?”
Then I reply, “I know! Dry elbows really ARE terrible. Number two…”
He doesn’t offer me a solution because he has learned in this instance that I just want him to listen and bear witness to my whining human experience. I always feel so much better afterward.
The human need to feel seen and be heard is so powerful. I’m thankful that I always feel seen and heard by Handy Husband.
In some ways, Handy Husband is the exact same person I married 25 years ago. In the important ways, however, he has worked hard to become a better spouse, dad, and human.
He will be the first to tell you he is not without flaws but I think he is exceptional. I love him endlessly.
Happy birthday, Handy Husband.
If you want to leave a birthday message for Handy Husband, I’ll make sure he gets it. You can always comment on this blog post, email us here, or reach out via Instagram or Facebook.
Thank you for being here and for letting me take a break from our regularly scheduled content to celebrate the guy who makes everything happen around here! If you’d like another blog post to read, I’ve got you covered. Here are some blog posts covering some of the best things Handy Husband has built.
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