The Perfect Valentine's Gift

I recently read a cute little story that could make Valentine's Day a little more meaningful for all of us. The author, Emily Watts, finally breaks down one Valentine's Day and tells her husband what she wants instead of expecting him to read her mind. (I, on the other hand, haven't been married long enough yet to give up on that expectation.) Emily really wants a pair of sterling silver earrings. Valentine's Day arrives, and Emily's husband, happy to have the mind reading eliminated this year, is very eager for her to open the gift. She excitedly opens the little box to find... sterling silver earrings! In the shape of... dinosaurs.

Had I been in this situation, I think at this point the little dinosaurs would have been either under the bed or out the window, depending on how far I could have thrown them. The tears would have begun immediately. (Again, I haven't been married long enogh to mature in some areas.) However, the author makes a wonderfully interesting point. She says that when she opened the earrings, she imagined a balance in her mind. (Like, the kind with two little hangy plates that they used a long time ago to weigh things.) On one side of the balance, she mentally put all the great things about her husband. He is faithful; he works hard every day to support his family; he's extremely caring; he's a worthy priesthood holder; he takes care of the children; and the list goes on and on. On the other side of the balance, she puts those silly sterling silver earrings in the shape of dinosaurs.

That Valentine's Day, she smiled and thanked him for the earrings, grateful not so much for the gift, but for the wonderful husband she had married and would be with forever.

Isn't that a great way to think of things??? I am now going to adopt the 'balance' thinking whenever I'm disappointed or on the verge of getting angry. I think I can get over my husband leaving his dirty socks on the floor once in a while when his innumerable good qualities have the balance practically tipping over, it's so lopsided. The 'balance' thinking even works with babies: Carson's dirty diapers and few fussy times are on one side of the balance, while his smiles and cuteness and my hopes for his future are weighing down the other.

So, that's my most recent lesson learned.

Although I wouldn't complain if I got a really, really nice Valentine's Day gift.