I’m not sure exactly when it was, possibly chemo treatment number four or five, but I remember laying in bed, recovering, and Mike walked out of our bathroom, stepping over my heaping pile of dirty clothes that I kept forgetting to throw (a mere five feet away) into the hamper.

As I watched him step over the clothing, he turned around, collected the clothes and put them in the hamper.

I apologized.
He was doing so much.
He was taking care of me, the boys, work, and the house.
I could at least put my dirty laundry away.

“Sorry hun. I was going to get to it. I just forgot.”

His response…

"Ya know Katy, this used to drive me nuts.

I used to get so annoyed with the wet towels on the floor.
I used to roll my eyes at the pile of laundry you left on the floor.
I used to lose my mind when I had to shut the drawers you kept leaving open.
I used to sigh and grumble whenever I saw the peanut butter left on the spoon in the sink.

Now, I don’t know.
It’s just not a thing.
I’m just grateful that I get another day."

I just toss the wet towels over the rack without grouchin’ out.
I pause and smile when I put the laundry in the hamper.
I kinda just laugh a bit when I shut the open drawers, cuss a bit when I hit my shin on it.
And I just lick the spoon when you’re kind enough to leave me a little extra peanut butter.

It’s crazy how all those things, I used to let bother me.

But now I think to myself, if you were gone, if I didn’t have you, I would miss this kinda stuff most.

He kissed my head, and left the room to let me rest.

And that my friends, is when you know you married up.
5 years later, I haven’t ever heard him complain about:

the towels
the laundry
the drawers
the peanut butter

Little perspective shifts change everything, don’t they?