Susan Merrill

I thought you would enjoy this story from my friend Lauren Dungy….

What do you remember most about your wedding day?  Did everything go perfectly?  Or are the things that didn’t go just right the very things you remember most, and the things that make you laugh even today?  Well, my wedding was everything I had hoped it would be.  Unfortunately, the journey to our honeymoon destination was not!

Tony and I got married in Pittsburgh, but I did not want to spend my wedding night in my hometown.  I wanted a romantic evening in an enchanting city, not the Steel City.  So after the ceremony and reception, we caught an evening flight to San Francisco.  Since there were no direct flights, we arrived pretty late.  Then the key broke off in the door of the car that one of Tony’s friends had loaned us.  And to top the evening off, the power went out in our hotel.  Things were not going as I expected.

Now I can look back and smile at our “not what I expected” start.  I can also let it remind me about the danger of expectations – expecting everything to go just right, and just like I want it to.  That’s not realistic and that’s not life, especially when you’re a wife and mother.  Too many things are out of our control.  Too many people are out of our control.

So, today, I’m going to try to keep my expectations in check.  Sure, I’ll make plans and be prepared, but I’ll also realize that the unexpected is just an expected part of life.  And when the unexpected does happen, I’ll try to remember that God still has everything under control, even when I don’t.

Tony tried so hard to make our honeymoon memorable!  Watch his side of the story below…

Recently, Tony Dungy came in to our office to record his vlog (that’s video blog!) for our fatherhood program, All Pro Dad.  What he said caught my attention because he spent some time talking about his wife, Lauren, who is an iMOM Ambassador.  He mentioned a lot of things that were practical examples of how he has made an effort to love his wife.  None of them were huge, incredibly creative or exceptional.  Things like taking a short walk together, having a 15 minute conversation, or writing her a quick note.

While I watched, I began to think that that perhaps I wasn’t appreciative enough when my husband did some of those very same things for me.  I kind of take them for granted, when I really should be very grateful that he takes the time to consider my needs and desires.

Watch this video, and then tell us, what are some of the little things your husband does to show you he loves you?

If your husband doesn’t already receive the All Pro Dad Play of the Day email, encourage him to sign up.  It does a really good job of reminding men to be the best husbands and fathers they can be.

Can’t view the video? Go here.