When I arrived home one evening, my husband was waiting, and taking me by the hand, asked me to close my eyes. He guided me into the bathroom, where he had placed candles, rose petals and bath salts surrounding a large freshly-run bath. Wine and chocolates adorned the rim of the tub, and he beamed ear to ear.
“Get in,” he encouraged.
As I dipped a toe into the water, I realized he had inadvertently run the COLD water instead of the hot, and the bath was icy. I saw you in my mind’s eye, hovering over the tub and saying to me “You have two options, my dear – choose wisely!” I plunged into the cold bath, smiling (actually shivering, but smiling). I thanked him profusely and waited for him to close the door. I then drained the bath, refilled it with HOT water, and totally relaxed. I could have easily complained, turned my nose up, or scolded him. Instead, I took the plunge and made him smile. Since then, I’ve had hundreds of HOT baths run for me by him.
Life and marriage are not about winning or being selfish. They’re about how you make other people feel when they walk away from you. I made my husband feel like a king that night, and in turn I’ve been treated like a queen for 23 wonderful years of marriage. And besides, everyone needs a good cold plunge every now and then!
Jessica
A Loving Surprise That Could Have Gone Wrong
