My Mornings

My husband unloads the dishwasher and makes the coffee in the morning. Not having to do those chores makes me feel so indulged and cared about and loved. I thank the Universe every day for sending me such a good man, my sweet and loving Patrick.

Pat started going swimming three days a week a few years back. He gets up at 6:20 AM (ugh), gets dressed very quietly and goes downstairs and makes coffee. When I do the dishes after supper, I wash some stuff by hand, and most stuff goes in the dishwasher. The stuff that I wash by hand is left to dry overnight on the counter in front of the coffeepot, so he starts putting that away just to get to the coffee grinder. After he gets the coffee started, he does chores – taking out the garbage, unloading the dishwasher. After the coffee is done, he pours it in a carafe, some in his travel mug, and leaves for the pool by 7:15 AM or so.

One of my least favorite tasks is unloading the dishwasher. I don’t know why, but I hate doing it. It doesn’t make sense, before I had a dishwasher I did all the dishes by hand, then I unloaded the dish drainer without a qualm. A dish drainer of clean dishes and a dishwasher of clean dishes is the same damn thing. In the past I’ve left clean dishes in the dishwasher for a couple days, letting dirty dishes pile up in the sink… this is the kind of rebelliousness that rises to the surface until I finally get a good grip on myself. I got through those funks by consciously chanting the affirmation, “I am so LUCKY to have a dishwasher, I am SO lucky to have a dishwasher” repeatedly for a few unloadings, until sanity returned.

But with all this unreasonableness churning inside me about putting away clean dishes, imagine how wonderful it feels to me to wake up in the morning, sometimes as late as 8 AM, stroll down the stairs, and find the kitchen counter cleared off, the dishwasher unloaded, and my coffee cup left out in front of the coffee carafe, ready to be filled. Hallelujah! I don’t have to do a chore I dislike! The coffee is ready, no waiting! The newspaper is on the table, ready to be perused! What a feeling of satisfaction. Of indulgence. Of caring. Of love.

So I read the paper (only the good parts) or go to the computer to read my mail and see what’s happening with all my friends on facebook. I have a feeling of well-being to start my day. Love. Joy. Connection to the Universe and the Creator. Just because my husband takes fifteen minutes out of his day to take care of me.

Life is good. I am so lucky.