Those Four Little Words

July 10, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

My wife said those four little words that every husband wants to hear this weekend. In fact, she said them several times. She screamed those words in the basement, called to me from the kitchen, and even whispered them in the bedroom. It was a really good weekend. I love those words. After 26 years of marriage, I don’t hear them nearly often enough. But when they waft from her lips to my ears, they keep the fire burning.

Of course, like any dutiful husband, when she said them I willingly complied. No matter where I was in the house I came running. With a smile on my face I performed my duty to the best of my ability. I used to be quicker, but I was a young buck then – more concerned with just getting the job done than savoring the job itself.

I’m sorry if this is making you uncomfortable. I realize it has gotten a little personal, but I must say that I’m proud of my performance over the weekend. If I sat around with the fellas at the gym and regaled them with how many times she uttered those words to me in the past few days, I’d get high fives, “atta boys”, and maybe even a chest bump or two. I’d be a legend.

What do you imagine those words to be?

“Come here, big boy.”

“The kids are asleep.”

“Let’s get it on.”

Nah… Not even close.

My wife uttered the phrase that keeps me coming back:

“Just throw it away!”

I love those four little words!

From her lips to my aching back – we did it. We did it over and over again. We threw stuff away like a pair of wild rabbits cleaning out their borrow for spring.

This summer, the family has cleaned out several basement rooms, bedrooms, and more closets than I knew we had. Over the long weekend I made multiple trips to the dump and Goodwill. It was awesome! Possibly the best weekend I’ve had in a long time.

It also begs the question, “How did we get so much stuff?”

It is seriously crazy how much junk one couple can compile. We aren’t at all rich. It’s not great stuff. It’s just stuff. There was half a storage room crammed full of things we haven’t touched since we moved into our house 19 years ago. It’s all gone now.

Wives, do you want to breath life into that relationship? Then softly whisper those four little words into his ear. Unless he’s the hoarder, I assure you he’ll respond.

Husbands, listen for once! This is how you keep a marriage alive. Spend some time throwing out the dead weight together – As long as you’re not the dead weight, disposing of it is sure to satisfy.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – A Cautionary Husband’s Tale

May 3, 2017.Reading time 2 minutes.

If you give your wife a gallon of paint, she’ll probably hand you the brush.

When she hands you the brush, she will likely want the bathroom painted quickly.

When the bathroom is painted, she will notice the rust on the shower curtain rod.

Once the curtain rod is new, she’ll say it needs a new curtain.

After the shower curtain is replaced, she will point out that the towels don’t match.

When she buys new towels, she’ll discover the towel holders are old.

In replacing the towel holders, you’ll probably make large holes in the drywall.

After you patch the holes you made, you’ll have to repaint that part of the wall.

Just when you think you’re finished, you’ll notice you spilled paint on the carpet.

When you scream (potentially a naughty word) in anger, your wife will say “Oh well, we need tile anyway.”

After you tile the bathroom, she’ll mention the toilet doesn’t belong.

When the new toilet is installed, you’ll glare at your betrothed and wonder what she will happen upon next.

Your wife, in return, will peck you on the cheek and say, “This looks good, darling. Come have a seat in your chair. I made you fresh cookies. Want some milk? Oh, and while you’re here, have you seen the state of the den?”

This cautionary tale is partially fiction. My lovely wife was very satisfied with the paint, shower curtain rod, shower curtain, and towels – after I fixed holes I made in the drywall and may or may not have used a potty word (tree falling in the forest).

Regardless… Husbands – heed the moral of the story:

Don’t ever believe that a gallon of paint promising to be a $25 room refresh will cost only $25!