Love in the Little Things

Last Saturday, Ryan had the day off work, and in a rare turn of events, we didn't have a single plan for the whole day. It was so glorious.

Actually, we did have a plan for the day. It was all Ryan's idea, and he was genuinely excited about it.

He wanted to bring me breakfast in bed.

Obviously I didn't argue with him about it. I just turned off my alarm, flopped over, and inhaled deeply whenever I happened to wake up while he was cooking!

He made lazy omelets (all the makings of one with none of the structure), tater tots, and biscuits and gravy. (The B&G was just for him. I can't handle wet bread.) Oh! And coffee, of course.

And so it was that at a very respectable daylight hour, I opened my eyes to this sight:

Sigh of happiness.

I share this with you, because for me it represents far more than the treat of a day when I didn't cook breakfast. It represents feeling loved, seen, and appreciated.

Ryan was really really excited about making breakfast for me. He didn't drag himself out of bed and into the kitchen to make a meal out of guilt. He told me he really appreciated all the meals I make for him (us) and he was really looking forward to taking a turn so I could rest. I know not every guy likes to cook, but Ryan does, so this was fun for him. And it really did make me feel appreciated. He planned the whole meal, shopped for the food, cooked it, served it, and cleaned up the mess.

In every detail, I felt his love and I felt appreciated.

That's where love really lives. It's in the little things. It's the reason we're doing these alphabetical dates all year long. It's not about the dates. It's about the planning and thought that goes into them.

When I was single, I was just certain I would feel most loved in these little moments. Watching TV together, Getting flowers. A sunset walk. And it's been true the last five years. Ryan's good about paying attention to the little stuff, and I do my best to offer the same back to him.

Love hides in the little things, and I never want to lose sight of that truth. I never want to give up on the details.

And Ryan? Thanks for breakfast. It was perfect!