Wondering what Great Expectations is all about? Every Monday night, I ask guest bloggers to tell us about some expectation that they had in life, and what reality actually turned out to be like. You can click that tab up top to see what previous guests have had to say (and there have been some harsh realities).
Laverne is an anonymous blogger at aka Laverne that I’ve become great friends with through the online and blogging world. She is unbelievably kind and supportive. Just read some of the Talking To Strangers posts that she’s done….they’re all about the bloggers that have inspired her and the amazing words she has to express what they mean to her.
She also writes with her best friend and partner-in-crime, Known As Shirley over at Kindred Adventures, where they write about their adventures together.
Laverne is an incredible friend, cheerleader, mom and woman. Thank you so much for being here, Laverne!
11:25
“I told a friend he could come over today,” he said.
“Oh,” I dryly replied looking while still looking down at the grocery list.
Tears began to lurk as the anger took form inside. I held back the tears as my thoughts streamed into an internal sarcastic vent, “How dare I interfere with your friend time today. It wasn’t like I had something planned first or anything. It wasn’t like I had worked a full time job, juggled two girls soccer schedules, baths, dinners and homework all by myself last week while you worked overtime or anything! AHHHHHHHHH!”
All I wanted was this time. Two hours on a Sunday to do what I wanted to do. Two hours to go see a movie with my dad. Now my time out might be wrecked because not only did I need to get myself ready but I would have to clean the house too.
“He’s coming over at noon to watch football, ” he added.
My eyes shifted to the clock…9:30am. My heart sank.
“I don’t think I’ll be back in time for you to make it to the 11:25 movie,” he added as I hand him the grocery list and he left.
Bathroom scrubbed, kitchen mopped, living room vacuumed, markers and toys and books collected, organized and put away. Two loads of laundry washed and dried. The dishes finished. “I did it,” I thought. I made it. It is all done. Then my heart sank when I saw it was 11:10am. I knew we wouldn’t make the movie.
By 11:30 my husband was home, the groceries were put away and a second movie time was chosen. I would get me two hours I decided.
“Being married is fun!” I growled to my father as we pull out of the driveway.
Still angry I turned to look at my dad with a mad face for added effect. Looking toward him something caught my eye. A new iPass was mounted in my car by the rearview mirror.
“Huh!” I thought, “He must have done that while he was out.”
Happy to have had my two hours with my dad, I smiled as I walked in the house. Opening the kitchen door, I am met with the smell of grilled Italian sausage. My husband had started making his homemade Spaghetti while I was gone. While getting a drink from the refrigerator I notice our daughters lunch box. Her sandwich, snack, drink, treat were all packed and ready to go for Monday. Giggles come from the kitchen table. I turn and see my five year old proudly holding her paper with her marker stained hands, “Look mommy Daddy helped me finish my homework packet!”
Sound asleep very very early the next morning I feel a kiss on my cheek.
Half asleep I smile and whisper, “What was that for?”
“Just because,” he whispers back.
After the anger. After the internal rant. After the pissed off moment I was reminded of the little things he does in our marriage. I was reminded that I’m not the only one that does unnoticed things (even though it feels like that a lot). I was reminded there are many things he does that make us a wonderful team, each with our own important roles. And with his morning kiss, he silently told he had noticed things I do too.
Get to know Laverne on her blog aka Laverne, @akalaverne on Twitter, and through her pinning habits and Pinterest.
[…] when Greta asked me to guest post for her weekly Great Expectations she got a absolutely hell […]
Greta I am so very happy to have had a chance to share this moment here at your space. I am even more happy that I had the chance to "meet" and get to know you. I feel so lucky to have met you and now call you my friend!! xoxox LV
It is easy to forget the small things in the bigness that is life. How wonderful that you both notice.
Lovely post Laverne.
Thank you some much Alison. It really is important to remember the small things but this whole day was so incredibly frustrating. It took all my will power not to lose it (well lose it for everyone else to see) and a lot of deep breaths to look at what he and done and not stay mad. It was also practically monumental that he noticed too. He's a fantastic husband…but…well acknowledging the little things is not his strength.
oh how I love you Laverne!
(thank you Greta for having her. Greta I tell you all the time, but this series is so amazing!!)
plus this is the thing about being married, about being in a relationship, you have to make time for someone else and that's not always easy. In fact it's very hard most days. For me reading this, I'm so glad that even though you didn't want to, you did all that for your husband…that you took the time out of your day to do it…and reading about what he did for you made my eyes tear. YOU DESERVE that…you do. We all do.
I see a partnership in your life and it's GOOD and right…it will bring tears sometimes, sometimes grumblings and hard feelings but it's LOVE…and Love endures all things, right?
Laverne, your words always bring me a perspective, a light. Thank you for being such a spot of sunshine for me. 🙂
xoxo
Oh Kir… now you have me in tears. I miss you. Your words are always so incredibly special to me. It means so much when your writing touches someones heart. None of that day was easy. It wasn't easy for me not to give into him and it was not easy for him to realize he really messed up and needed to do better. It was also incredibly hard for me to look at this moment and find the things he did after being so mad. I think we all know relationships take work. It is the work, the recognition in others, the small changes we make that make us better people and our relationships stronger. It is also so wonderful to know when you are not alone in the things that happen in a relationship and that others experience it too. I just adore you Kir. Thank you thank you thank you for you words {wiping the tears)xoxoxo LV
Sometimes it is easy to see what they do to annoy and complicate your life but difficult to see all the things they do to make it easier.
Being able to see the give and take, and to share it with us so beautifully…I'm so glad you're writing, Laverne 🙂
[…] I have shared my voice at the Kir Corner, Wednesday’s Woman and Great Expectations […]