Today didn't start off much better than yesterday in terms of my mood or attitude. When I woke up, we were already behind in getting prepared to head to my parent's house, and I was cra-a-nky (three syllables worth of cranky). But as I got dressed, I took some time to quiet my soul and to remind myself of the real purpose behind this experiment, which is not to meet some goal or to get some post taken care of. The goal is to improve my relationship with my husband and to find ways each day to make his life a little bit brighter.
So, with that in mind, I called an audible and changed from my original plan for today to a plan that is well outside of my comfort zone. I decided to take one of Barney's Christmas presents to my parent's house and to give it to him today rather than saving it for our designated gift exchange day on the 22nd. That might not sound radical, but I have always had a weird tic about not liking to give or receive presents early--I think it has to do with some ancient hoarding instinct (I like to see the pile all at once).
Upon arrival at my parent's house then, I found an excuse to present him with a new board game (Ticket to Ride), and I found ways to ask my family in private beforehand to play with him. He was extremely excited and happy to play. We played twice, with Barney winning the first and me winning the second. Getting to play this game made the day go from somewhat boring to something to look forward to for Barney, and that is exactly the type of outcome that I am hoping for here.
There were no life shattering revelations today, nor was our relationship altered in any significant way. But, I found a way to bring a sustained smile to my husband's face. And for me, today, that was more than enough.
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