As a husband, proud father of three boys and full-time employee at SignUpGenius, my days are usually pretty busy. And like many people, day-to-day responsibilities can take over other important parts of my life. Making the time each day to show my wife that her needs are important is a goal that I have not yet perfected — although I have gotten much better over time.
My wife is a fan of social networking and loves Pinterest in particular, so there is a constant flow of ideas and honey-do projects that accumulate, especially in the fall. With Halloween rapidly approaching, she requested that I build her a “farm-style table” that would provide her with a great functional piece of furniture that she could splatter with décor throughout the year.
While I’m generally resistant to my normal honey-do list, this project peaked my interest and provided me an avenue to give back in a way that was obviously important to her.
Being meticulous, I pulled out my ruler and graph paper to begin the design. After an hour of drawing, I had a draft complete and was ready to drive to the local lumber store to make the big purchase. Arriving home with a load of beautiful white pine lumber and a few new tools for the job, I spent the next two days drilling, gluing, sanding, staining and polishing this work of art that my wife had entrusted me to build. I must say this was the most rewarding project that I have ever done, and it gave my wife the sense of importance she always deserves but doesn’t always receive.
After the final polish, it was ready for her approval, so I opened the garage door with excitement for her to behold this great work that I labored over for days. As she walked into the garage, her eyes were locked on the table and a huge smile came over her face — she loved it!
I was filled with joy and pride. But then she said with confusion, “Where are the chairs?” My immediate response was, “What? That wasn’t on my to-do list!” Now she has a great table with no chairs. As I said earlier, I still haven’t perfected this.
Want to hear more from our team members? Check out The Evolution of the Class Party and Confessions of a Fundraising Mom.
