Dinnertime

Tonight was something special for me. My husband offered to come home for dinner between things he was doing. It was going to be a late dinner (9:00 or 9:30), but he could come home for an hour or two to do that, if I wanted. Since it made sense enough, I agreed.

When he asked about whether we had food at home or if he should pick up something, I told him that picking up something would be best, because I wasn’t sure I had the capacity to figure out dinner tonight.

After he confirmed that he would pick up something, he only asked if we had balsamic, and I told him I was pretty sure we did. (All I could do in the moment, as I wasn’t at a place to be able to go check right away. But I did go confirm once I was able.) A while later, he got home. He managed our daughter after she woke up, which included some hefty crying bouts whenever he had to set her down to do something with two hands for a minute or two, and made us real dinner. Bake salmon, green beans, and sliced cherry tomatoes with balsamic. All I did was go pick some basil to put on my pieces of tomato, and set out a bowl for him at one point when he asked for it. Otherwise, he handled everything, and without even asking me a bunch of questions.

When he did asked about the balsamic, he shifted in the moment how he was asking. “Where is the balsamic, or where should I go to look for it?” Normally, he’ll ask for something and expect me to get it for him, instead of my just telling him. Tonight was the first time I’ve noticed a distinct effort on his part to do it himself. And that one question was representative of the whole dinner tonight. Everything was so different from usual, and in a very positive way. I had meant it when I’d said I wasn’t sure I had the capacity for figuring out dinner, and I had meant it. But it felt tonight that he truly got it and acted accordingly.

And it was awesome.

I truly felt supported and respected. Not because, ‘Oh, he was slaving for me while I hung out.’ But because he honored that I had communicated that it was beyond my capacity tonight. It was awesome, and I am grateful.

Thank you, God. Keep us safe and make us well, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2026