Well pressed tailored suits he wore. He picked up his attaché case and planted a kiss on his wife's forehead with some unruly hair dangling and covering those lovely eyes. He went to their toddlers nursery room and played with his wavy hair before he kissed those chubby cheeks. He took his daughter's backpack and they went off the door. The girl's school was some meters away from his law office. He had to drive his daughter and drop her in her school before turning back to his workplace.
The woman was left all alone with their baby. She decided to have the nanny off for good and take care of her toddler fully when she was strong and capable enough to do it. It was how she did to her first born when she was still little.
When the babe's asleep, she would do house chores. But a number of things like bathing her baby and play with him outdoors before getting inside to make him sleep. Make the house presentable and tidy as it is when her husband and daughter comes home. Do the laundry and get the laundered things under the sun. Cook and wash the dishes every after meal. Then prepare dinner for them.
She would again do chores after dinner before joining her husband who is prettily resting in their room. Sometimes she helps their daughter with schoolwork or her husband would.
She was a fulltime mom who's doing her part as a good wife to her husband and mother to her kids.
On the other hand,the man picked up his daughter at her school's gate after his office hours. They would drop by a store and do little grocery when things ran out of their house.
"Can you buy some milk for baby? I haven't noticed the stocks were pretty gone until I reach out the cupboard to refill baby's milk container." The woman asked her husband when she was about to go out with her baby in tow to the grocery store. Luckily, her husband and daughter came home earlier than expected.
"Of course." The man answered with a frown as he entered the house. His wife and her daughter followed behind. He laid his briefcase at the side table and loosened his tie.
"Can you buy me this? Can you buy me that? Can you get me this? Can you get me that?" The man said in a sarcastic tone as he turned around to face his wife who was just across the room and getting the baby out from his carrier.
"There was not a single thing you haven't asked me to buy." The man added with his tone a little higher.
The woman with a mouth agaped was astonished with her husband's reaction. She asked her daughter who was just beside her to take her baby brother to her room.
She faced her husband who was now sitting at the couch and said gently, "what's wrong with me asking this time for a favor of buying little one's milk?"
"I bought you this house. That beautiful ring on your finger. Pay the bills and buy you all the things you needed. Is not enough for you to keep pesting me with things to buy? It was all my sacrifices that made us where we are now. Can't you even be thankful for those?" The man said with his tone almost high. "Now you can't even get yourself fit and get those extra fats from your body! You smell of oil and spices most of the time. Your hair and hands almost as course as the sandpaper."
The woman was hurt very badly that she haven't notice those tears racing down her cheeks. She covered herself up with her cardigan she was wearing. She wiped her tears and was about to leave her husband and go to their room when she saw her trophies at the living room divider; her plaques and some certificates nicely framed. It was all her achievements in college, a varsity player and at the same time excelling academically. Beside them were of his husband's certificate from graduating law, his pictures and one of it was theirs while she was happily hugging her newly grad soon-to-be husband. She was heavy with their eldest that time.
"Sacrifices and sacrificed you say?" She asked in a still calm voice as she again faced her husband. "First, I sacrificed my supposed to be career for you to finish up and become a lawyer instead. My body to conceive and brought your kids healthy in this world," she sniffled. "I sacrficed my time to raise them myself because I was not at ease to leave them alone with a nanny.. Yes, you bring home the bacon but who prepares it for you? I smell of oil and garlic but it's because I make sure to serve you and the kids a healthy meal. My body had gained fats because I was all eyes to our kids that I didn't have time to atleast shed some," she sniffled once more. "I may look messy at times but it was due to our baby who loves to pull my hair and sometimes peed at me. I made sure the house is neat, clean and comfortable for you to come home to. I tried my best to look presentable infront of your colleagues, that I am sure of."
"The house you say? The ring? Did I ever asked you to get me these? Was it not your love that made you so? Didn't you ever think I also made sacrifices and sacrificed everything just so the family we dreamt to build together before will be a family who lives, laughs, cries together?" She paused and sat at the couch across her husband.
She asked, "Was that even you speaking? I know you have bad days in the office and I understand that. Even a stay at home mom feels drained physically, emotionally and psychologically but you never heard a word from me." She reached for her husband's hand and held it. "I am thankful for your understanding and for taking me to places to at least have my mind and body relax for a moment. Those "us" times. Most especially for the endless provisions of our needs."
"I may not be a vocal type of a woman in terms of things like that but know that I show my gratitude in actions. But know that when I am triggered, my mouth could talk nonstop."
The man who had been listening took his wife's hand and kissed it. "I am sorry. I did have a very bad day. I was a little anxious of the new case I was holding....."
The conversation went a little more..
"When baby is a little older, you can go back to school and continue your degree. I believe, you'll do better than me. Together, we'll be partners at home and at the office.
Closing thoughts
Now, is it right to slap your sacrifices to your spouse? Well, it depends. As for the story, they held it professionally.
In marriage, both parties are making sacrifices for the welfare of their family. It should not be something to cause abuse to the other. It is altogether a responsibility no matter who or both are bringing home the bacon...
There is no perfect relationship. There are arguments, misunderstandings but having a good and healthy conversation with your spouse or partner is also the best therapy in a relationship. Doing it in a calm way resolves problem that may arise in the future. Sometimes arguments arise to make us see things and grow. You may not talk with each other for days but try to go out and cool your head in a way that would not worsen the situation. Come home after then start a good conversation with your partner.
Thanks for reading
07-14-21
z_graeden
It pays to have a talk with your partners every now and then, like sit and talk about things so that it will not be bottled up like that and explode. You should talk about your concerns and each party should be more understanding of each other so they can work things out.