Marriage

This morning Mike had to give me a shower, which is something he's having to do once every 3rd day so you can imagine by the time I get a shower, I smell.....bad.  Despite my nightly attempts at giving myself a sponge bath, it really doesn't do the trick.  I have to rely on Mike to shower me.  It's our new normal, at least for the next 3 weeks.  As I got in the shower, he started spraying me with the water.  Yes, I felt a bit like cattle.  Then he started squirting the pump soap all over me without any care in the world.  Literally, he was pumping soap in clumps all over me, which I desperately needed but I didn't really appreciate.  I told him I didn't like the pump soap, that I preferred the Irish Spring bar soap.  He ignored me.  Don't get me wrong, Mike got the job done and I'm clean, so clean, that I feel like a new woman this morning (even got my hair washed) but Mike is a problem solving man.    In his mind it wasn't about caregiving but about getting the job done in a reasonable amount of time with the least amount of mess, in the most efficient way - mission accomplished.  All the while, we were cracking up at ourselves and the predicament I got myself into with my broken ankle.  We've been married 18 years and in the last 8 months we've endured a devastating job loss, the start up of a new business and now a significant injury and somehow we're still laughing (if we don't, we'll cry).  I'd say what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.  Despite all the brokenness, all the struggles and changes, Mike is still that sweet 21 year old boy who showed up at my door 22 years ago.  In marriage you have to change and adapt, I've learned this but the history you build along the way with your one and only is worth the climb, even though the climb is super hard and super exhausting.  I know Mike and I will get through this season of our life and marriage.  Our boys have been able to witness first hand that life is not fun sometimes and when life isn't fun, Mike and I bonded together and made the best of it (or at least we're trying)!