What Kind of Guy?

As you know, yesterday I published a text message I received from my husband while I was away last weekend, and asked for your interpretation of it. In case you missed it, this is the message:

"What time are you back today? The kitchen is a mess"

One might interpret this message to mean that the kitchen is a mess, and that my husband wanted to know when I'd be back to clean it up.

If you know my husband, you know that he just wanted to know how much time he had to get the kitchen cleaned up before I got home! He would never deliberately leave a big mess just for me to clean up. Especially a mess that was made on his watch.

But, if you know my husband, you also know that he's got a great sense of humor and a keen sense for the nuances of language. He composed the message with deliberate vagueness to provoke me. Of course, knowing him all too well, I didn't fall for it. Humored, yes. Provoked, no.

So I knew the kitchen would be cleaned up when I got home. But what I hadn't expected was the degree to which he did the job. The kitchen actually sparkled and shined! Such a lovely way to walk in the door.

And to top it all off, he told me that the kids had spontaneously decided to chip in with the household chores that morning. My son did several loads of wash without being asked to, and the girls tidied up the house so I wouldn't arrive home to things out of place.

Yes, time away is good for us all. It makes us realize how much we appreciate the loved ones from whom we're separated.

Maybe I should go away more often...