Thanks to My Husband

My husband has an amazing gift. With two daughters and a wife that used to act onstage, you can imagine the theatrics that often ensue. There are dramatic exits, slamming doors, tears and hormones gone wild. This weekend my eldest was in a bad mood. And when Abby is in a funk, God help us all. She is 8 going on 13 and apparently got the drama gene -BIG TIME. According to her, Saturday was the "worst day ever." Apparently the combination of forcing her to get dressed for the day, brush her teeth and eat lunch in a restaurant rated right up there with waterboarding. And the subsequent discovery of sauce on her noodles sent her into full meltdown. So there she sat- tears streaming down her face, hair hanging in the bowl of noodles (with sauce) muttering that it was the worst day ever. I have no patience for this sort of thing, but it tears my husband up. He pulls her into his lap and begins talking to her in a quiet voice, which seems to have the undesired effect of full-on waterworks complete with sobs and barnyard sounds. I wanted to sink down under the table, but he just kept rubbing her back and calmly talking to her. Pretty soon, tears are done and she's smiling again. This is a true gift he has. When Abby goes into full dramatics, he seems to effortlessly calm her. When Elisabeth starts sulking he can cajole her into laughing. He can calm me with a hug or a hand on my back- even when I'm entertaining plans to smother him in his sleep and he's the only person on the planet that can bring his mom down from the rafters. I don't know what it is that enables him to make you feel like everything will be alright no matter what, but it's a gift that we are all certainly grateful for. Thanks, Honey.