What we do not say...

Several years ago, I was about to have a new baby.  We had never had a rocking chair and I noticed that our next door neighbor was having a yard sale and was selling an old wooden rocker for $15.  I remember mentioning it to Hubby "The neighbors are selling a rocking chair for $15."  He said something like "Wow, that's a good deal." and went about his business.  As the afternoon went on, I was more and more mad, and sad and frustrated that Hubby would not walk next door and buy me the dumb chair.  Finally Hubby found me sitting in our bathroom crying.  He was totally baffled at why I was so upset.  When I told him that I was upset because he hadn't bought the chair, he looked at me like I had lost my mind.  He said "If you wanted it, why didn't you just go buy it?  If you needed help getting it home, why didn't you just ask?"  I was stilling crying when I said "You should have known I wanted it when I mentioned it."  Still baffled, he walked next door and bought the chair.  Almost immediately I realized how silly I was being, not communicating exactly what I needed or wanted Hubby to do.  It wasn't fair for me to expect him to read my mind.  

Around Valentines Day I was looking at some flowers, and Hubby asked if I wanted him to buy some for me.  I smiled and said "No, I have you to love me and that is enough."  He smiled and gave me a kiss.  He didn't buy me anything for Valentines Day.  I laughed.  He took my words quite literally, and now I am a little older and wiser, and not pregnant, I know to live by my words as well.   For Mother's day he asked me what I wanted for Mother's day.  I gave him a list of 4 or 5 things he could buy, and then said "Really, its not what you buy that matters.  What matters is that you put some time and energy into it, and that you think of me."  Guess what?  He didn't buy me anything for Mother's day either.  (Grin!)  However, he got up Sunday morning and made me a beautiful breakfast.  He fixed a wonderful dinner as well.  I thought it was pretty awesome.  I spent the whole day feeling so loved and cared for. I not only had my husband, so lovingly serving me, but my daughter bought me a pretty necklace with her own money, for some reason that was very touching to me, that she thought ahead to buy me a gift, at no prompting, wrapped it, and kept it for more than a month to give to me.  My other daughter Made me a carrot cake (my favorite) and of course I received a million (only a slight exaggeration) home made cards from the little kids.  My oldest son spoke in Sacrament.  We watched a movie that was my choice.  It ended a little late, but all in all I loved Mother's Day.  I think about that day so long ago (which was probably around Mothers day, because that baby was born in May) and wish that I had saved myself a few tears and communicated my needs a bit more clearly to Hubby by saying exactly what I meant.