This is what he has done today. (Let's celebrate the good things!)

Phoenix You have to count your blessings - I always appreciated MrG but maybe not enough

Oh Gally I don't know what to say.

Phoenix little things mean a lot, how loving of him

Gally I'm sure he knew how much you appreciated him and loved him

Yes I'm sure he did, but with the benefit of hindsight I urge all of you to appreciate even the small things while you can because believe you me, they can be whipped away from you in a trice! Phoenix it was lovely to read your piece about MrP and I must admit it brought the tears on again. He's a very lucky man to have such an appreciative MrsP

He is a good chap, I can forgive him his complete inability to deal with the disembowelled rabbit that the cat let on the doorstep yesterday morning.

Well, I'm with him there!

Gally and Phoenix, you have both brought tears to my eyes. I read these posts when I should have done the ironing, and the divine MR G has just done it all for me. I was slightly irritated by him over somethin tiny this morning, and now have given myself a few short sharp words, and told him how much I love him, which I should do every day and count my lucky stars. Thank you

He did sort of attempt to deal with it, but to be honest I felt that trying to hose it away was never going to work, (he managed to somehow get the guts wedged between the the edge of the path, god knows where he thought the body would end up) so I put on the rubber gloves, picked up all the bits and bunged it in a bag.

xxxxxxx

Lovely thougts and messages on here.

gally you are right we dont always show our appreciation, but I have taken heed of this thread I am sure Mr G knew how much you appreciated him.

phoenix you are both very lucky to have each other

Be back in a mo I am just off for a tissue, I cant see for tears....

gally and phoenix

I don't imagine ever seeing a thread where men list all that their other halves do for them. Why do we think we have to thank a man who performs some small task when we have spent our lives just getting on with looking after the family and home?
I speak as a divorcee who could not bear the thought of retirement with a husband whose only contribution was to put the rubbish out. I did all the childcare, cooking, housework, decorating and gardening as well as going out to work.
Sorry to be a grump!

I think you're allowed to be a "grump" shysal and if my marriage hadn't worked out I'd be grumpy too. Indeed, I'd be absolutely furious with every male on the planet.

But there really are some very decent chaps out there (and one of them belongs to me) as well as some utterly frightful specimens, so I do think the good guys deserve a bit of thanks and praise every now and then.

My DH sings to me quite a lot (this is a fairly new phenomenon) making up his own score and lyrics as he goes along. These are short love songs, addressed to me, and make me feel very happy. DH also brings me breakfast in bed every day (a post retirement plan) - proper leaf tea followed by freshly squeezed citrus fruit and other varieties of fresh fruit.

Married love seems to get better and better (we got married in 1969) and funnier and funnier. I cannot imagine life without DH (who is now laying the table for supper!).

phoenix and gally - you've both given me food for thought, thanks for that.

shysal
I'm sorry you feel like that. My late dh and myself just shared! He would cook because he enjoyed it. I would crew for him in return. We both worked, loved, lived. He died! I'd give anything to have him back!
However, Ll that was 9yrs ago. I've learnt to make to make my own life!
On second thoughts:- I'm not sure of if I could cope if he came back?
I now have my own life?
All very profound for a Sunday night.

My lovely OH has stuck by me,we had only been together for a month when my daughter died in suspicious circumstances and left me to care for her 4year old daughter,he had a decisison to make as I came home with a very traumatised little girl,he stayed because he loved me,where a lot of men would have run for the hills,he stayed with me for many stressful occasions at court and has been my rock throughout,he takes her anger and frustration and treats her as his own child [he dosent have his own],he cooks cleans and brings me tea in bed in the morning and treats me like I am so special.....I love him so much even though there is a large age gap...I am older.....I dont tell him how much I love him and appreciate him....I hate the thought of appearing needy so tough things out.......but I do love him to bits....he has put the kettle on and is making us all a cuppa......I wouldnt want to think of him not being in my life...which is a possibility given the age difference which is why I hold something in reserve we have been together almost 9 years.....am also lucky with my ex husband we where married 26 years we are still good friends I realise how fortunate I have been with them both.

Yes those of us who have loving, caring and considerate "other halves" are truly blessed. This is 2nd time around for me and I am so lucky to have this lovely man in my life. I think (no I know!) he knows how much I love and appreciate him.

The previous posts have struck a chord with me as I was just thinking this evening "where would I be without him in my life".

When DH retired he said he would take over the housework as I had been a stay at home mum and done it for 40+ years. He has kept his promise and does the ironing,vacuuming and cooking. He cooks dinner every night and also brings me coffee and breakfast in bed.

I so envy all you happy people,my two marriages were both failures, so I would never trust my judgement again.

I have just tuned into this on a Monday morning, and read all the posts. So much happiness, combined with the sad ones. I am among the happy ones, pleased to have been married to the same man for 60 years, in spite of one or two downs about which we can look back on and be gratefu for the fact that we had each other during those times. We now just make the most of each day, can't do as much as we used to, and can't afford to do some of the things we like and still have the occasional 'spat'.

My dear old Mum and Dad were married for 70 years and argued every day about all sorts of minor nonsense. When my sister tackled my Dad about it he said "It's only froth" and I have often smiled to myself and thought how true that was after all those years together. Sometimes a sparky relationship keeps it alive.

DH and I are coming up to 47 years married and we too have our spats but he is my rock and strength and I love him unreservedly. His recent health scare (peritonitis) really underlined for me just how precious he is to me and how scared and anxious I felt when he was so ill. Thankfully he is now slowly returning to health and strength.

I agree with everyone who has stressed that we should value each other every day. When we are at our age every day is a bonus.

nanachrissy - I'm sorry you've had difficult times in the past.

I didn't think I would find happiness again after my first marriage ended after 25 years, it made me doubt everything I'd believed in about the life I'd been living. Suddenly on my own with three children was a situation I had never, ever seen myself in.

Then a few years and grown-up children later I met my OH and it took quite a while to trust my judgement. Very luckily for me my judgement was sound!

These comments have made me think. I have a DH just like yours, Phoenix, So today I shall darn the mittens he has been asking me to mend and I shall do it without grumbling.