I had been putting off working on some home repair projects that were in dire need of being finished. The main reason I was putting them off is that I find that if I stop doing my daily household work (i.e., cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.) no other family member is going to do it for me and so, I end up doing twice as much work.

When my husband finally questioned why I wasn’t finishing any of the bigger projects, such as painting the family room walls, I responded that I just wasn’t up to taking on the extra work knowing that I would have to stop in the middle to fix dinner, or do the laundry, or take care of the dog.

It took some convincing, but I do believe he finally understood what I was talking about. He promised to help as long as I did the painting while he wasn’t occupied with work or something else and I agreed. Coordination and cooperation between spouses, that’s the key.

So, this past Sunday, after asking my husband what his plans were for the day, I tackled my painting job. While I was doing that, he cleaned the swimming pool, then came in and started dinner. By the time I was finished cleaning my brushes and putting away the ladder several hours later, dinner was on the table.

You’re probably wondering why I am writing this, but the point of this post is to let everyone know that if couples work together to accomplish things, big or small, they can make each other feel good. I felt such a sense of accomplishment for finally getting the painting done and I didn’t feel stressed about having to stop and make sure dinner was ready. I felt that what I was doing was appreciated by my husband enough for him to want to take over some of my usual duties in order for me to get the job done.

Sometimes, spoiling someone can be as simple as letting them know they’re appreciated.