Last night I had every intention of cooking a nice dinner. Nothing fancy, just something homey and good. I decided on baked ricotta chicken, one of those recipes that looks simple enough but still feels like you tried. Everything was going smoothly until I realized the vegetables I’d planned to cook with it had already gone bad. By then, the chicken was already baking, so there wasn’t much to do but roll with it.
When everything came out of the oven, it just didn’t look great. I’m normally a good cook, so I’ll admit it got to me a little. I wanted the evening to feel nice, and instead it felt like one of those small disappointments that can easily throw you off.
Before I could get too frustrated, Jake came over, hugged me, and offered to go pick up Chinese. He didn’t make a big deal about it, didn’t tease me, just said it kindly and meant it. He even took Ealey with him so I could have a quiet minute to myself. I poured a glass of wine, put on some music, and by the time he came back with steak hibachi, my whole mood had shifted. Ealey ended up getting some chicken, so it was really a win-win!
It reminded me how much small moments like that matter. Marriage isn’t about everything going perfectly. It’s about how you handle the things that don’t. Having a partner who sees when you’re discouraged and steps in to help, even in little ways, makes such a difference.
Sometimes love looks like takeout after a failed dinner. Sometimes it’s a hug, or giving someone space to breathe. The big gestures are nice, but it’s these small, quiet ones that make a marriage feel safe and steady.
Things will always go wrong, that’s life. But when you’re with someone who knows how to meet those moments with grace and kindness, the hard parts don’t feel so heavy. You just end up grateful, not for the perfect meal, but for the person who makes it all feel okay.
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