At some point, will you stop trying to have meaningful conversations with me, because they always lead back to a honey-do list?
Will you stop going in for a kiss before bed, because a man can only be rejected so many times?
Will date nights disappear altogether, because it becomes just another chore?
I know that pursuing each other seems hard right now because we both have so little left to give at the end of the day. But, please keep trying.
Keep scheduling date nights when I complain about childcare. Those evenings where I have on nice clothes and eat a real meal and we have conversations without interruptions — those evenings recharge me. They remind me how well we fit together and why we chose each other for life.
Keep coming home from work excited to see me, even though it’s guaranteed to be messy and hectic. It’s the thing I most look forward to every day. I watch the clock and countdown the hours for you to come home. I never want to stop looking forward to hearing your car pull in.
Please keep telling me I’m gorgeous when my greasy hair is forced into a ponytail and my shirt has smeared oatmeal from a kid’s breakfast. When I roll my eyes at your words because they feel so far from the truth, please don’t take it as a sign to stop. I sure don’t feel pretty, or even presentable, but I need you to know that your words are the only thing I have heard all day that made me feel like a woman, and not just a mom.
Keep holding me a few seconds longer after I let go of your hug. I have so much to do that I forget how good it feels to pause. But, your hug is life-giving. It is the first time someone has focused their attention on me today. I need it.
Life will slow down at some point. The kids will become more and more independent. My biggest fear is, that — somewhere in the middle, we could stop being us. Keep reminding me that we are more than parents. We are partners. We are best friends. Let’s keep choosing each other through it all. Keep reminding me so that I don’t forget how much we have to lose. Keep reminding me so that we don’t wake up one and realize we don’t know each other. I started this journey with you, and I want nothing more than to keep going with you. I want to enjoy you until we are old and grey. We belong to each other, and we still have a lot of years to give.
**The article was written by Stephanie Hollifield of Momstrosity. It originally appeared on their blog. Used with permission.
