“He’s never run through an airport for me, except for that one time”
My wife, who continuously gives me too much credit, shared a link to this post on her Facebook profile this morning. “Could not agree with this more,” she said. “And this is what Matt is to me.”
In fairness, I actually did run through an airport for her once. It was the day she finally arrived in Canada for good, after years of traveling back and forth on visas. The reason I had to run was because I’d gone to the wrong terminal to pick her up. Man alive, she was pissed.
I try my best, and I generally do fairly well, but I’m not perfect. And I’m not just saying that to fish for compliments. If anything, “I’m not perfect” is a massive understatement in my case. But I do what I can each day, just to be worthy of my wonderful wife and my awesome kid.
The fellow in this post isn’t perfect, either. He obviously does his best, and I’m sure he’s feeling appreciated today. Being compared to the guy gave me a real “man of the year” feeling, so I hope he’s enjoying the thrill of actually being that guy.
But I hope he’s also feeling inspired. If he’s anything like me, being told he’s doing a good job has strengthened his commitment to doing a better one. I was touched by Kate’s comments, of course, but I also felt a little bit undeserving, because I know I can always do better.
None of us are perfect, after all. You make mistakes in a marriage, and you’d better believe you blow it ’round the clock as a parent. But you learn from today, and you commit to doing a better job tomorrow.
And when your wife tells the web that you’re doing a great job, you accept it with all the appropriate perspective and modesty, and you hope she knows you’re just trying to keep up with her. Because she’s pretty great, too.
Posted in Friends and Family