Caring

by guest contributor Il Marito Mysterioso

Caring for our spouses is one of the inherent covenants of the marriage contract. It's part of the whole "in sickness and in health" thing that most of us take for granted when we affirm our vows.

About a year ago, my wife came down with pneumonia. At the time, not only was our house being painted but also our air conditioning broke down in 100+ degree weather. Knowing that there was no way she would get better under those circumstances, we moved to a local hotel (with air conditioning!). I brought her food and a cooler full of protein drinks and juice for when I had to go to work. After a few days the home issues were solved, and we were then able to get back into more comfortable surroundings so that she could get well.

As I write this, I am 6,500 miles from home in a foreign country where I don't speak the native language. My wife has come down with a cold and I'm doing all I can to comfort her and make her comfortable. At midnight, I went to the local pharmacy with a note in the local language that said, "My wife is sick with a sore throat and needs some medication". I got what she needed and she was able to get some sleep.

No one likes being sick, but being sick on vacation is worse because your comfort zone is miles away. There's also the thought that somehow the sick party is ruining the well party's trip. But if the couple really care about each other, the trip is the last thing the well person is thinking about.

But this post is not all about me taking care of her but of how she also takes care of me. Earlier in this vacation, we were about to get on the local Metro. She got on the car but two young men tried to block my entry. Not realizing what was happening, I tried to push through them while their female accomplice picked my pocket for 20 Euros. My wife saw this and immediately jumped off the train and grabbed the thief while I was still trying to figure out what had happened. She had a good grip on the pickpocket until she realized that the thief had already hidden the money somewhere on her person and no longer had it in her hands. Meanwhile, the train left the station with her on the platform. Luckily, we had a pre-arranged contingency plan to meet at the next stop.

The point of that story is to show that she was also trying to take care of me, risking possible injury by jumping off the train and grabbing the thief. She was fierce in a way I had never seen, like a lioness protecting her cubs, but it all sprang from her caring for me. In her words, it was fight or flight, and she chose fight. I think even she was a little surprised by her response but she was also energized by the realization that she had the ability to react the way she did.

That's the point, because that's what loving couples do. They care for each other in ways that other people might not, out of love and devotion to make sure that the other party feels safe and knows that, no matter what, they have someone who will look out for them because they love each other.

Who could ask for more?