I felt so loved today.
So heard.
So understood by my husband.
All he did was come home with a pan.
My husband and I—we have been together for a long time.
We have kids.
Our lives get messy and busy.
Somedays, when we talk to each other, we get distracted mid-conversation by our kids, our phones, and just life.
Sometimes I don’t feel heard.
Sometimes I don’t feel like he is listening.
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But yesterday, I was making the kids eggs for breakfast, as I usually do.
“I really need a new pan. The one we have is way too big, it makes it hard in the mornings,” I quickly said to my husband.
I looked over at him.
He was on his phone, working.
He barely nodded.
I don’t think he even looked up, or said anything back to me.
“I’ll have to go grab a smaller pan sometime tomorrow,” I thought to myself.
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The day carried on, where nothing else was said about the pan.
I mean, it wasn’t a big deal or anything.
It was just annoying to me.
Today my husband came home from work and walked in the living room.
“I picked this up for you today, I remember you saying you wanted a smaller pan,” he said, as he walked away to put it in the drawer.
I got up, walked to where he was, and hugged him.
Tight.
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“What?” he said, very confused.
“I know it’s just a freaking pan, but that just made me feel so heard. Sometimes I don’t think you’re fully listening to me, and I’m guilty of it too, but this is just a sigh of relief for me. You hear me,” I said.
We hugged for a few moments, and I think we both felt very heard.
And seen, by each other.
Life gets busy, we forget to fully pay attention, and we forget that it’s the littlest things that can bring the most joy.
Seen.
Loved.
Appreciated.
Even if it was just a freaking pan.
This post originally appeared on the author’s Facebook page