True Love

Love is not always rainbows and butterflies. It’s not always romance and surprises. A lot of times love is the opposite. Let me share with you a little about what I learned about love, just last night.

Love is sleeping on the floor so that your wife and struggling baby can have the bed. Sure, you could sleep on the couch or in the spare bedroom, but you wanted to be near them in case they needed you.

Love is listening to the crazy rantings of your overwhelmed wife. She’s not making any sense, and you know her words will all be forgotten when the sleep deprived woman finally gets some rest, but you listen anyway.

Love is getting the baby bathed, dressed for bed, giving him his meds and setting up his medical equipment so the stressed out wife can relax in a late-night bubble bath.

Love is reading three instruction manuals in one night about a new machine, hoping to find a secret to making it more comfortable for the baby and get more sleep for your wife.

Love is kissing away her tears and saying a silent prayer that her pain and sorrow will be lifted.

Love is realizing that you are only going to get five hours of sleep before a full day of work, but you insist on cuddling your wife in her arms until she falls asleep. You know her well enough that she doesn’t have to tell you that without your embrace, she would not have been able to turn off her thoughts of worry and fall asleep.

Love is thinking she has fallen fast asleep and gently tucking her and the little baby in bed, while she somewhat consciously notices all of the sweet, unselfish gestures you have made.

While I sometimes wonder if this was the fairytale I hoped for as a fantasizing teen, last night I realized no, it’s not. It’s so much more.