The other day my husband and I were out on a date with another couple lamenting about the dreary winter weather. My friend said, “I really just need some twinkle lights to cheer me up.” What she probably said in jest, was actually an opportunity for her husband.
I tried to help him out, by jumping in, “Yes, twinkle lights for sure! That would help!” “Seriously you definitely need twinkle lights.” Wink, wink.
I kept hoping he would take her seriously. Because even though her comment was made in jest, deep down she was serious. She was crying out for help because she felt stuck in the doldrums of life. She really wanted him to be like the guy in Song of Songs that says, “Come away with me”. Let’s go have fun together.
Can you imagine how thrilled she would have been to walk in her bedroom, turn on the lights and have twinkle lights strung all around . I can just imagine her smile as she realized her husband heard her. That he went to the work to give her a little pick me up and bring fun back into their life. This small gesture could have shifted the atmosphere in their marriage.
Guys, this is a real thing. A small unexpected surprise that cheers us up when we feel the weight of Christmas preparations, the darkness of winter making us sad or just the doldrums of life marching on. Such a simple thing and yet something that can add a little twinkle to our life.
If your wife needs a boost, surprise her and do something to make her smile.
Great post! I totally agree. Once I started paying more attention to the “little” comments and acted on them, it’s made a huge difference. Speaking from my perspective (as a husband), I’m not *that* great at picking up on cues unless I decide to look for them. I wish I could say I’m really good at picking up on cues, but I’m not — and have a lot of room to improve. But I do realize it’s really important and makes a big difference.
I happened to be in the right frame of mind one day a month ago when my wife mentioned about how much she liked Christmas lights on the houses in the neighborhood. We didn’t have any lights up on our house yet at the time (and I wasn’t planning on risking my life climbing the roof 😉 ). But that next weekend, she caught me on a ladder and our box of lights. This meant more to her and our little kids than it meant to me, and I was happy to do it.