loving my husband

by Whitney on February 2, 2011

He starts early,

gets a little dirty,

and is never entirely ours . . .

but that little device that keeps pulling him away also enables him to be home now, and for that I am grateful.

I mentioned before how February is special for me and my husband–both our birthdays, and Valentine’s Day, and our wedding anniversary fall in the shortest month of the year. We like to think of it as The Month of Us. Only, with all that tending a young flock entails, that label means less than it used to. This year, though, as part of my continual quest for a balanced life, I’m striving to bring Us back into focus. Willette is helping me do that, quite literally. I’m participating in her the Joy of Love workshop, which encourages photographers to turn their lenses to frame those most dear. While I have thousands of images of my children, there are only a handful spotlighting my husband. He may be a hazy blur in the background, or a prop holding a child star, but he is hardly ever the primary subject.

So today, I took the first step toward correcting that oversight.

Prompt #1: what they do

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Denise @ Creative Kitchen February 2, 2011 at 1:45 am

Oh, I love this!! These photos are magnificent! It’s been great tweeting with you. Love the “month of Us.” ;)
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Whitney February 2, 2011 at 11:02 am

Thank you! To be honest, this post makes me rather uncomfortable. It feels so personal and revealing. I’ve gotten personal in print, before, but never in this space, and my essays are never accompanied by photos.

Thank you also for the twitter chat–it’s great to have a little back and forth in the midst of working, and I appreciate your input on Disney. Protect small toes, keep egos in check, and enjoy your trip!

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renee @ FIMBY February 2, 2011 at 9:30 am

Ok, I’m curious. What does your husband do? I take it he is able to work from home?

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Whitney February 2, 2011 at 11:19 am

He is an engineer. These days he works everywhere–in the office, at home, and on site, which sometimes means he scales buildings like Spider Man. The unpredictability can be frustrating for me, but it’s really good for him. The range also enables us to take longer vacations and hang out midday from time to time–pleasures we haven’t always had.

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Sofia's Ideas February 3, 2011 at 3:49 pm

I love this idea, Whitney! I have to admit, I’m sorta infatuated with my husband right now. He’s convinced its just hormonal, but I know its not.

But this post made me think – you’re right! I have so many pictures of the kids, but my husband is usually behind the camera or like you said so well “a hazy blur in the background, or a prop holding a child star, but he is hardly ever the primary subject”.

Thank you for this…
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Whitney February 4, 2011 at 12:54 am

That’s so sweet, Sofia. You should make sure your husband “happens upon” your comment.

I’m giving myself leniency, here, because my husband’s arrival time doesn’t always allow for a photo shoot. We’re going to make up for it this weekend, and in the meantime, I am at least thinking about the prompts each day, and focusing on our relationship in that way. I’ll share my progress and more details throughout the month.

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Dakota Gal February 4, 2011 at 1:26 pm

What a fun project! I just said to my husband this morning, “Hey, are you married to me?” because he is gone so much and when he is here the kids are here, too, and everyone is vying for everyone else’s attention. I think it’s time we focus on being husband and wife a bit more, and February seems the perfect month to attempt it.
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Whitney February 5, 2011 at 4:46 pm

Yay–I’m so glad this found you, then. I felt the same way when a tweet announcing Willete’s project caught my attention. Maintaining healthy relationships with our partners and friends is the best way to help our children successfully navigate their own social journeys, I think. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Reminders like this help to increase our consciousness of the issue, at least, and hopefully begin to address it.

Click through to Willette’s site to sign up–the (free) admissions are rolling, and the daily emails keep me in check. You also get to see Kelly’s lovely photos!

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