things i love about my husband {4} conversation
I set three places at the dinner table that evening.
My parents had invited me over for a meal, but they ran late, so I made the food myself. Chicken, wild rice and asparagus with butter.
I was pulling the chicken from the oven when Mom came through the door. She glanced at the table and then said, haltingly, “There will be four eating, Tasha.”
My gaze met hers and my eyes must have been wide with surprise because she said, “Didn’t Papa tell you?”
I shook my head and started taking deep gulping breaths. While Mama set another place, I hid in the bathroom, hyperventilating. I heard Papa come in and went out, a bit of accusation flying. “I almost didn’t make enough chicken,” I pointed out, “I only threw in an extra piece in case one of the boys came through.”
“Well, it’ll be a boy,” Papa said. All calm. “And he’ll be coming through.”
My hands were shaking.
He showed up two minutes later, while I was still trying to get my hands to hold still. He was relaxed. Smiled a lot. Sat down at the table with us and began telling stories. Oh, he offered me a chance to talk but I mostly mumbled and nodded. So he kept on, sending me a wink here and there.
I’m pretty sure that if he hadn’t already gotten to know me from a distance, he would have left that night thinking, “Strange girl. Doesn’t talk much.”
As it was, he held up both sides of the conversation while I took deep breaths and sat on my hands.
I think I started to love him right then.
We married seven months later. And I have been thankful, every day, for his ability to command a conversation. Oh, sometimes he forgets and runs right over me. But he always comes back and gently pulls me along.
He gives me grace for my long moments of silence. For my jumbled up word-messes. For my “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.” And he graciously leads me through.
“Talk to me, honey,” he’ll say, and patiently holds my hand while I formulate words.
My communication skills have grow immensely since our marriage, and it is all thanks to him.
The Challenge:
Is there something your husband is exceptionally strong in, that you struggle with? How has he helped you overcome that?
Love this Natasha.
My husband is exceptionally good at keeping his mouth closed and walking away. Drives me absolutely insane! I’m a fighter: I yell and argue and get heated. He doesn’t…which, of course, makes me even angrier. But I will admit…it’s probably a good thing that we bother aren’t fiery like that lol
And lest you think we’re huge fighters…we’re not….I could probably count on 1 hand {well maybe 2} the times we’ve had arguments in the past 13 years.
Oh, we’re the opposite. Amos wants to deal with whatever it is– and I just want to walk away for a few hours and come back after I’ve processed it all by myself.
I think the times that we’ve actually had fights, he’s thanked me for actually engaging. Lol! Not because he likes fights mind you, just because he got to deal with the issue and then be done, instead of waiting for me to process.
I’m very thankful that we rarely, rarely have issues. 🙂
Love how you are intentionally doting on your husband, Natasha. So refreshing and inspiring!
Ohhh! This was sooo sweet, Natasha! I’m just enjoying these posts to the hilt!
I have to tell you though, this so reminded me of me and my husband’s “first date”! He did all the talking. I sat there and commented every once in a great while. He was so nervous he was fidgety. There were some garbage bag ties laying around that he somehow got ahold of, and for most of the conversation he was twisting and mangling those ties in one way or another.
Then he suddenly stopped talking. He looked at his little tie creation, then held it out to me. “It’s a flower! See? For you.”
I reluctantly took it and looked it over. Inwardly thinking, “It looks more like a little witch doctor.”
I thanked him. He went back to talking. Within two minutes he stole the “flower” back from me and started messing with it again.
Then he suddenly stopped talking again, and looked sheepishly at me.
“Actually… it looks more like a little witch doctor, doesn’t it?” He said.
I looked back at him, and melted. I knew we were meant for each other.
Two months later, we were married. 😀
Courage in communication is something that my hubby is strong in also. He’s helped me grow that courage for myself since we’ve been married. I was never really shy, but I didn’t think anyone was interested in what I had to say. He’s helped me realize that even if someone doesn’t want to hear what you have to say, sometimes they NEED to hear it anyway… in a loving, respectful manner of course… 🙂
Oh, Jessiqua, what a priceless story! 🙂
It’s funny, because I’m not exactly shy either, but I definitely lacked confidence. It sounds like we picked some definite winners to marry up with. 🙂