In this weeks edition of Monday Morning Quarter-Buck, financial planner Scott DuMond, CFP® shares his appreciation for his lovely wife Valerie. Scott doesn’t directly state this, but you can read between the lines on how much he puts a value on the work that his wife contributes to the household.
By: Scott DuMond, CFP®
Proverbs 18:22 states “He who finds a wife finds a good thing” and I agree heartily. I am a far better man than I would have been because of my wife. She is my teammate, partner, companion, and love of my life.
Ben Franklin once shared “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.” This is a wise saying. Yes, we should all be very mindful and careful before saying “I do.” However, once we do, we want it to be forever and that is a conscious daily choice. My wife and I do not keep our eyes half closed in marriage rather we respond to each other with grace instead of focusing on each other’s short comings. In other words, we act like a team and support one another rather than tear one another down. We know we are both imperfect beings and thus do not demand perfection from the other. This allows me to be incredibly thankful for the woman she is, and she is able to be thankful for the man that I am. Together we can accomplish much more and have a good return on our labor because everything she does, I don’t have to do and everything I do, she doesn’t have to do.
Some common things heard in our house from both our mouths include:“I love doing life with you” and “Thank you for marrying me”
In our household there are four of us: my wife, Valerie; my son, David, a senior in high school; my son, Daniel, a junior in high school and myself. With three adult males in the house my wife often says that she lives in a guy’s dorm. While my sons and I work alongside my wife in doing the household chores such as cooking, dishes, laundry and yard-work, I realize the bulk of the work at home is done by Valerie. She is the last to sit down, the first to get up and the first to serve someone. She is always available to help someone with their homework or any other need.
I would like to take this moment to say thank you to my wife, my mom and all other wives out there.
1. Thank you for loving us men and putting up with us.
2. Thank you for supporting us and helping us to be better men.
3. Thank you for praying for us.
4. Thank you that we can make a mistake and still know that we are loved by you.
5. Thank you for the hard work you put into your career and still come home and serve the family.
6. Thank you for all the meals that you have cooked and all the messes that you have cleaned up.
7. Thank you for making things nice.
8. Thank you for all the times you are standing and working when the rest of us are done for the day.
9. Thank you for not letting me go out of the house “dressed like that.”
10. Thank you for being you.
Men, love your wives. Please remember to:
1. Love her and appreciate her for who she is.
2. Tell her that you love her and show her by your actions.
3. Look for opportunities to bless her every day and not just when Hallmark tells you to.
4. Pray for her.
5. Never say any word that will make her wonder about your love for her.
6. Remember how beautiful she truly is and tell her so.
7. Support her in the things she cares about.
8. Do the chores that she hates.
9. Pick up after yourself.
10. Be a covering to her and protect her from doing too much and going beyond exhaustion.
I love my wife and am honored in every opportunity that I can bless her. Yes, often the things that need to be done take place when we both have put in a full day, are exhausted, and there is still more to do. There is a cost to serving one another and having a good marriage takes real work. However, having someone 100% on your side that you enjoy spending time with is priceless. Time to go to work men.