Companionable Silence

In honor of my sweet Husband's birthday, I am republishing this post originally published on 6/23/11. 

I recently found this Norman Rockwell print at my local Thrift and Gift and brought it home to hang in my kitchen. Like all of his works, this one had a thought provoking message, and a quite humorous one. I don't know the title of this print and I didn't want to take it apart from it's beautiful framing to try and find out, so I have nick-named it 'Companionable Silence'.

I started thinking that this might describe my marriage. You see, Hubby and I have been together a very long time. We met at the beginning of High School. We were 'High School Sweethearts'. I knew the moment I looked into those amazing blue eyes, that he was the one for me. And although we were young, 'too young' some would say, we married right out of school to begin our life together. We couldn't wait. We had to be together. This means that we pretty much know everything there is to know about one another.

And so, there is not this need to talk so much. We are comfortable just sitting together. We don't need to spend every minute together. We each have our own interests, duties and hobbies. Today, Hubby is out playing golf with our eldest Son. I have the day to myself. I was allowed to sleep in.

Hubby has a demanding job. He is constantly on the phone, on the computer, talking to business associates, clients, co-workers, all day long. Sometimes he just wants some silence. This is hard for me at times. I like to talk, to plan, to analyze life. And I have to give Hubby a lot of credit. He is amazing to talk to. He is intelligent, kind, compassionate, agreeable, and has a wicked sense of humor. And he also knows when to keep his mouth shut.

But all this talking gets to be too much for him sometimes. He needs his solitude. He needs time to let his mind wander. So out the door he goes.......

This is a man who needs to stay busy. But he needs mindless activities to let his thoughts wander. I know that I can always find him if I need him in his favorite places.

This wonderful man of mine cuts and hauls in approximately 8 cords of wood every year. Every evening I can hear him, out chopping wood on his enormous chopping block. We buy it split and delivered, but the wood always needs splitting again, not to mention stacking. But he loves to spend time at his wood pile. He loves everything about it, the fresh air, the smell of freshly split wood, the exercise, and especially the solitude.

In the dark of winter, I go out with him in the cold, crisp air to be his silent companion. We live in cougar country and I worry about him out in the dark. I help him carry in the armloads of wood. We light the fire and sit together every evening, he on his laptop, me reading or crocheting while we watch our favorite t.v. shows. Once in a while we have a thought to share. Most of the time, one of us will say, 'I was just going to say that!' We are in sinc.

In the warmer months I know I can find him in his workshop. He loves to tinker. He keeps all of his tools neatly organized and well taken care of. He is a fixer. Anything that I need fixed, he is right on it. All I have to do is mention it. Sometimes I forget I have asked him, and he will present it to me already done without a word. The 'Strong and Silent' type, I like to call him. My very own 'Clint Eastwood'. 'Man of Few Words'.

Did I mention that he had a wicked sense of humor? We share the same outlook on life. We find the humor in most every situation. It is a wry sense of humor, we two share. We love irony.

So even though we live in Companionable Silence most of the time, Actions Speak Louder Than Words.

This is a man who has stood by me through thick and thin. And believe me, there was plenty of thin. This was a man who has worked hard all of his life to provide for his family. This is a man who never blinked each time I told him that our family was adding one more, and who actually greeted the news with joy. This is a man who built me a home with his own two hands.

So at the end of each day, while we sit in Companionable Silence, watching the setting sun turning the hills to gold, I count my blessings. In Silence.

Happy Birthday my sweet man. 

My best friend. 

xoxo