She was a student at UCSB and I was trying to recruit her to work for me. I was six years older. Her name tag said, “AIMEE.” So the first time I ever met my wife of 13 years, I started singing “Aimee, what you wanna do? I think I should be with you … for awhile, maybe longer … if I do!”
Fast forward 13 years and we are now raising four kids under the age of 8. We carve out time to share togetherness – like before we had children. Sometimes, it’s just for a night out, but this summer we entrusted a babysitter with all four children while we left for Europe and North Africa. Just the two of us.
Many of our friends ask, “How can you leave your kids?” or “Who’s taking care of your kids?” These questions always make us wonder if we are doing the right thing. But when we are together for 10 days by ourselves, we get a chance to rekindle those feelings of when we first met. It’s almost like we are taking a honeymoon again. We talk to each other at length; we go to coffee and read the paper and read books and newspapers; we share thoughts and feelings on topics that don’t ever get discussed between shuffling kids to school, homework and afterschool activities.
After reading the book “The Five Love Languages” we figured out what makes each of us really happy. Aimee always mentions when she buys me a gift, and I always remind her when I do an act of service. My acts of service always seem so trivial, like putting my shoes in my closet or picking up my socks. Her gifts to me are so special because they show me she is thinking about me even though she’s got four kids to coddle. The small gift that makes me so happy is when she remembers to buy Mt. Tam Cowgirl Creamery cheese at Whole Foods.
All of this may seem a little silly at times, but it does make both of us smile and laugh. I have told Aimee many times that my goal for us is to be married forever.
Aimee is the best mom, wife, friend and lover a husband like me could ever wish for. As Lou Gehrig said, “I’m the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”
