I’ve never come home to soft music and candlelight dinners or nor has he suprised me on a date. He’s never serenaded me in the night. Seldom does he hold my hand in public. And he refuses to dance with me. Anywhere. He is a far cry from romantic based on the standard definitions.

BUT

He loves me. And he tries to show me in the best ways he knows how. Like buying gifts. He is the best gift-buying man. Ever.

I can mention something flippantly in passing that drives me nuts, or that I “wish I had,” and he remembers it. He jots it somewhere in his memory, phone, planner, I don’t know where, but it sticks. Over the years I’ve learned a few things about this wonderful man (well, many more than that, but for this story let’s stick with just these) 1. He is listening even when he looks like he’s not (usually), 2. That I should never mention I want something unless I really want it and 3. He will only buy the best.

So every holiday, I am given something that is absolutely perfect. He tries his very best at keeping it a secret (although he seldom succeeds), and gets so excited that rarely can he wait until the holiday arrives to give at least part of it to me. I’ve learned to “tune out” the obvious hints he leaves as to what he is buying, expect that it will be wonderful and cherish his beaming pride when I love it as always.

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. So it should now be no surprise that I got the Ninja Professional Series blender AND food processor. On Wednesday. Why did I get this blender? Because in complaining about our old blender that couldn’t blend milk let alone crush ice, I mentioned that the Ninja’s looked awesome, that’s why. Because I mentioned that we should get a cheap food processor last Christmas when they were on sale so we could start hiding veggies in our food. That’s, why.

And the Ninja would have been perfect. Except, there’s more. I got a text at 12:01am wishing me a “Happy Mother’s Day babe!” I woke up to a man who NEVER gets up before me on the weekend, already up and asking if I would like my favorite, scrambled eggs, for breakfast. I came downstairs to breakfast burritos, fabulous smoothies from our new blender, and the kids ready to eat. Dang.

But wait! It’s gets better. So while I am eating, he says nonchalantly “Oh, I almost forgot!” as he hands me the Ninja box now holding another gift inside and a card. I didn’t tell him that I heard the garage door open and shut or him in the truck or that it brought a smirk across my face because I knew what he was up to. I didn’t mention that I saw the card sitting there 20 mins ago. Nope. Because his excitement is too dang cute to ruin that moment.

What was in the box? A new bath pillow. Extravagant? No. Perfect? Yes. He heard me when I said that I never replaced that old one from our house in MI and that I needed a new one. Months ago. Did I mention that I love this man?

And the card? One of his best yet. Not only were the words beautiful and perfect for us, but he wrote in it too. He didn’t just sign “love, me” as he so often does. And that? Well, that was icing on the cake. I don’t require expensive jewelry, fancy cars or material things. The quickest way to my heart? Show me you care with your actions and your words. Because at the end of the day, those are the things I will remember.

How was your Mother’s Day?