Keeping It Real

There is a blog I like to read. Written by several Christian women who are all writers. And they are good. Makes me think I need to use bigger words and more descriptive words and smaller lines and arrange them different. But that's too much like work. Then they go and share deeply moving spiritual stories, heartfelt, real life experiences like their parents divorce, infertility, loss of a child, marriage, infidelity, etc. and I think of all the things I keep to myself and don't share. Ultimately, though, until God leads me to share my struggles raising children and stepchildren, being the "second" wife, all as an imperfect person, I will keep the real uglies to myself. For now.
THEN, I get on facebook to look for an email and I'm bombarded with "my husband is so amazing" statuses. Which normally I think is great. My husband is pretty amazing. He drives carpool for Whitney and her friends (and any man that can put up with 4 freshman girls at a time is a prince among men). He always helps with laundry and taking the trash out. And while he doesn't cook, if I don't want to cook he's content with leftovers, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or cereal. And it's hard to share how amazing he is when his last big feat was an 88 mile run. Or 27 in the snow and 20 degrees. (And a friend of mine's husband runs 5 miles to work every morning right now. And they live in Boston.) Coming up with status updates about Steve? It's just plain bragging. Which normally I don't mind... (he knows I'm doing this too) tonight when I read the "amazing husband" statuses I laughed. Because I'm going to be open and transparent here. Steve and I have bad days. And we snipe at each other. OVER STUPID STUFF. Like me walking in the door tonight and Nate telling me his car was out of gas. So I gave him my car keys so he could get to work. Then I got the lecture about my 18 year old son being irresponsible. I guess I could've given him money. He just hadn't been to the bank to get any out of his account. So Nate went to work, and Whitney went to Maddis.
But it's all good, me being the amazing wife I am by 5:30 I was in my jammies with my supper (a hunk of cheddar and two whole dill pickles and a diet coke) on the couch watching dvr'd television shows and Steve left for the Y. So I took a nap. When he got home - let me put is as a facebook status. "My husband just walked in the house from working out and complained that he had to plug in the blender to make his protein shake. Yep, all you with your husband cooking and cleaning and taking you out for dinner? I'm the lucky one. Steve complained that someone actually had plugged in the toaster today." A little long for a status, but you get the idea.
I don't say this to put Steve down, we actually laughed about this. It's just reality. Life is not all sunshine and roses remember this one? http://patsybaker.blogspot.com/2010/12/sunburn-thorns.html)
So I'm being real and transparent. Friday night. No kids. I didn't cook. We didn't do anything fun or romantic. We watched track and field on television. I did mop the floor, because I spilled a pitcher of water and in cleaning it up it just made sense to add a little soap to the puddle and scrub while I was there. You know how it is, your kitchen floor is always cleanest after the dishwasher overflows.

Have a great (real) weekend everyone!