LOVE: According to Cy

Cy likes someone in his class.  He says she is cute because her "clothes match with her hair."  I hadn't thought about that approach . . .

Later, he said, "I have a girl that I want to kiss, but I don't have any dates . . . So I have to figure out what she likes so I can give it to her."  How great a piece of advice is that?  What DO our spouses and loved ones need from us?  Do we try to "figure it out" so we can "give it to" them?

I came home from running this morning at 6:30 and found my husband dressed for work with his white shirt sleeves rolled up.  He was doing the dishes.  Of course, to any normal woman, this is taken at first as an affront--What?  You didn't like how I cleaned the kitchen last night? (Even though I didn't.  He did while I was at Relief Society.)  What?  You think I should have been up at the crack of dawn doing the dishes instead of runnning?  But then, when I saw his sweet smile and his no other motive or message besides--"Hey, I saw we've been a little backed up and I wanted to to finish these."  I realized I just needed to not be overly sensitive and take the help.  And recognize it as a way he was able to show me that he loved me--by serving me.  As he dried the bundt cake pans, I asked him, "Is there something I can do better for you, Cam?" 
He assured me there was nothing, but I have thought more about it and I know he would like our house to be a little more clean, a little more tidy.  Mostly, it's the dog hair (and I can't get rid of that without permanently scarring my children), and the kid's junk EVERYWHERE.  I need to be more proactive and teaching them to clean up after themselves, and to also try a little harder to just put things away once I use them.  You should see his closet.  Everything is folded and neatly put away, mine is a lot more skiwampus.  Right now my closet is OK; it's the kitchen counters filled with stuff from my calling, Cy's spelling words, guitar practice sheets and that big bag of pretzels I need to return to Costco. 

Ever since I started homeschooling, just keeping up with the daily mess of things has gotten a lot harder and so the bathroom is cleaned less, and the counters are cleared off less.  But what if I used something or had someone give me something and I took the extra 10 seconds to find its home, instead of thinking I'll do it later?  I think it might give me more peace and my husband more peace.  I am going to try harder this week. After all, it's Valentine's on Sunday and that could be my gift of love to him.  He'd probably appreciate that more than chocolate.  What does your lover need?  Like Cy advised, figure it out and give it to him.