FTSF – About Marriage, Husbands, And Chores That Suck
Since I started my blog, the Hub has been telling me to write posts about how awesome he is.
Every now and then he gives me that look…the “this is going on the blog, isn’t it?” look. He knows. The stream of blog fodder he provides is awesome.
And so today the Hub gets his wish. He gets a post dedicated to him.
Because he sucks.
Yes, that’s correct. He sucks. You see, my Husband does the one chore I hate more than any other: he vacuums.
I would rather do anything than run the vacuum cleaner. I will offer to clean the bathrooms, toilets and tubs included, if I don’t have to run the vacuum cleaner. I hate it. I don’t know why.
Maybe it’s the banshee-like sound it makes. Maybe it’s because the beast is heavy and awkward, like an elephant on skis. Maybe it’s an act of rebellion against my Mother who may or may not love vacuuming more than spring.
What I do know is that since the day we married, the Hub has done all the vacuuming. It means a lot to me because he doesn’t love it, either. But he does love me.
His ready acceptance of this chore I hate speaks volumes. He is willing to do it so I don’t have to. And there are things he would rather not do, like grocery shopping and pairing socks. I take those.
There are things in life we would rather not do and things we flat out hate. Some parts of marriage sometimes suck and some responsibilities we could do without. Everyone has their own laundry list.
Marriage, like sharing chores, is about striking a balance. You have to fiddle with the weights a little to find the combination that works. Help one another. Carry the load your partner doesn’t want. Do the job that sucks.
Find the balance between work and play, too. Some days the chores get finished; some days they do not. The house will not always be clean. And at the end of any day it doesn’t matter if we have spotless floors or sparkling tubs. What matters is that we loved.![20150214_024309[1]](http://www.themeaningofme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/20150214_0243091-e1423901164556-150x150.jpg)
Compassion, kindness, nurture. These things matter. These things say love. These things last far longer than the length of a least loved chore or the freshness of flowers in a vase.
And besides, after the flowers die, someone is going to have to clean them up.
![20150214_185240[1]](http://www.themeaningofme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/20150214_1852401-e1423975068709.jpg)
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This has been a Finish the Sentence Friday post, where writers and bloggers link up their words to a weekly prompt. This week’s sentence is “The chore I hate doing the most is…”
Our chore-hating but lovely host is Kristi from Finding Ninee.
Our gracious co-hosts Michelle Grewe from Crumpets and Bollocks and Kirstenjill Hudkins Robbins from Ripped Jeans and Bifocals.
Be sure to visit any of these lovely ladies to find the link-up to more great posts!
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Yeah have issues with vacuuming. I can’t turn it on with my bare feet because it’s awkward and when I do it anyway I hurt my foot every time. Even with flip flops. What sense does it make to have to put on sneakers to turn on the vacuum cleaner. Also it give me static. So when I’m done I get shocked on everything. I never see my husband vacuum unless he’s made a mess with the shredder.
Ooh yeah, Kenya, the static thing. And your shoe description is funny. But it is true that vacuuming without real shoes can be painful! Somehow I always manage to run over my tOes.
Lisa, you have a keeper! I can’t think of any chore my husband does regularly (inside the house). This made me laugh, because I LOVE to vacuum!
Allie, you and my Mom! Please explain it to me because I don’t get it.
That said, you are welcome at my house anytime! Vacuum is on the first floor, first door on the right.
And yes, he is definitely a keeper!
When you said he sucks, I thought- “uh oh”… lol!! My hubs does the vacuuming too!! It all started when I was first pregnant and we thought the vacuum was not good for the baby in utero… I am still going with that. 😉 (hee hee)
Chris…how naughty! You know I just love him to pieces.
Meanwhile, vacuums are bad for babies in utero? That’s genius!
For me, it’s ironing. I can’t stand it! My husband, thank goodness, finds it “soothing”. Weirdo.
Hey, Kitch!
Ironing…now there is one that does not happen here. I have very few things that require ironing. When they do, I’d rather send them to the dry cleaners. The Hub loved a particular kind of dress shirt that happens to be wrinkle-free and they work beautifully, so…no iron!
My Grandmother used to iron my Grandfather’s handkerchiefs because he liked them that way. Never made sense to me – they just get wrinkled – but that’s what they did. I think it’s kind of sweet.
I hope your Husband sees beyond the oh he’s awesome because he vacuums to the real sweetness of this post.
It does say a lot about him, and you. Very touching<3
Oh, Christina, he absolutely knows it’s not only his vacuuming duties that make me love him! (That is a great bonus, though, no?) He is quite possibly the kindest, sweetest, most caring person I know. He is a wonderful father and my very best friend. He’s one of those all-around good guys.
Oh, I loved this! My husband suggests I should blog about him too. I doubt, however, that he even knows where the vacuum is kept, so I will have to think of another way to praise him. 😉
Show him the way, Leslie… 😉 And what is it with husbands who want to be the stars of blog posts?
This says it perfectly – it is about helping each other, caring and loving, and striking a balance. It’s that simple. My husband also sucks 🙂 I can’t handle the heavy vacuuming without hurting for the next two days, and although it makes his back sore too, he does it so I don’t have to. That’s proof that we have married good guys who love us, and how very blessed we are! 🙂
You know, Josie, I often think it really is just that simple. Many things in life are.
We definitely have a couple of good ones!
There was nothing more attractive about my partner than his willingness to clean the bathroom! lol!
There is much to be said for a guy who does the crappy jobs for us. Literally.
Now that is a true partnership – doing the chores each other hates doing. I’m glad to hear you have a hubby who works with you. I can’t complain over here either. BUT I actually like vacuuming and I haven’t been able to do it since before my surgery. I can’t wait to bust that machine out and get this house clean the way I like it. I’ll even vacuum the curtains and under the couch cushions! I might be related to your mother.
The Hub and I really do have a true partnership, I think. We balance each other out well in division of labor as well as areas like personality, logical/emotional thinking, etc.
I can see why you’d be eager to get back to things like chores – physical limitations are frustrating. There are many kinds of deep-cleaning I do enjoy…vacuuming is just not one of them. Oh you are my Mom’s kind of girl – she would love you!
Ugh. I feel like I do almost every chore you mention from pairing socks to cleaning toilets to vacuuming. I’m definitely chief homemaker. But I’d take all those over taking out the trash/recycling/compost and paying bills/making phone calls/doing taxes. I’m pretty happy with my side of the deal, I think.
See? As long as it works, it’s not about how much. Trash and recycling are not my faves, either. Bleah.
And on the subject of toilets…I’m afraid mine need some attention today.
I am the undomesticated one in our household, which means I am the slob and he’s the one to clean. Role reversal? Totally. I’d rather walk on Legos than clean or vacuum. I’ll admit though that when I am pissed or just simply fed up with the clutter I will eventually clean up. Lucky for my husband that’s at least once a week. Ha!
That is a pretty hefty statement, Kim, as stepping on Legos is pretty horrendous. Thankfully, my Kidzilla keeps hers pretty well controlled in her own room. Whatever system you have that works is the way to go, I say. And in all truth, that’s kind of how it works around here – we tend to let things slide while we’re busy doing other things and then hit “OK, the place is a mess” mode. 😀
I don’t mind vacuuming, although you can’t tell based on how infrequently I do it. But I agree with you – marriage is a constant give and take in many areas – chores included!
We could certainly do the vacuuming (and other chores) more often than we do. But I try not to get too worked up about it. This afternoon, for example, instead of tackling the bathrooms, Zilla and I did a craft that came in her monthly Kiwi Crate and played a game. I’m OK with that.
Yay for your husband! My husband and I have found a balance. Oddly, I will clean bathrooms til the cows come home just fine, while he is a dusting/vacuuming maniac. Hey, it works!
As long as it works for the parties involved, Katy, go with it! And yes, YAY for my Husband!
I see your post is about your son’s laundry…our six year old Daughter manages to generate a ridiculous amount. Going over to read…
Yay for your husband! (I thought I posted my comment already – sorry if this is a dup). We have a reached a happy place in our marriage, too: I’m in charge of bathrooms (which I actually don’t mind!) and he does dusting/vacuuming.
You landed in my spam, Katy, that’s all. I freed both of your comments!
I don’t like cleaning. Period. My step mom is a cleaning fanatic – she finds it like soothing and stuff. I’d rather vacuum than do the dishes though. Or mop. Love that your husband does the chore you can’t stand. He’s a keeper! 🙂
And thanks so much for linking with me this week again!
Our moms could be friends. My mom has a very strange love of cleaning.
My Husband is absolutely a keeper.
I love this link-up. It’s making me stretch my brain. Every prompt I say “no way I can figure out how to write that one” and somehow I at least get something on the page, for better or worse. Thanks for having me!
My man also does the vacuuming. I don’t hate it, but with a dust mite allergy, he takes that one for the team. I don’t mind cleaning bathrooms, but scrubbing a kitchen – ugh!
We all have those dislikes. Fortunately you have found someone who doesn’t share yours. Well done!
Ooh, yeah, that would be an important one to avoid, Tammy! I don’t mind the kitchen cleaning, since I’m the one who makes most of the mess there. But I do hate cleaning the oven. It’s more about the angle and position you have to adopt to accomplish anything.
Okay, so cleaning is something about which I blow hot and cold. Sometimes vacuuming is satisfying. Sometimes it is the devil’s work. I can’t tell reliably which it will be from time to time. Same thing for bathrooms. Ditto for dusting. And floor mopping. Etc. Etc. By this time in our family “history”, we kind of share the work around a bit, and also do as you suggest — tolerate some messiness because that is life.
I hear you, Anna. There are days I really care about how neat and clean the house is and there are days that I kind of don’t. Life is messy – if the house reflects that, I can’t say I’m surprised.
My husband is not allowed to vacuum anymore. He still does sometimes, but he broke two good vacuums. I bought me a 600 dollar Miele, and he broke it the first time he used it. Closest repair place is a 3 hour drive, and it’s probably a few hundred to fix, so I bought a cheaper one that I almost liked better. Some sort of generic version of a Dyson for $150. He used it once, and he broke it. So now I’m stuck with a $40 vacuum while trying to store 2 other vacuums until I can throw the money into fixing them.
Wow. Cant even think to say anything but wow. That would make me sad.
Oh my but your hubs sounds like a gem. I like vacuuming but I have to hand that chore over to my son when he’s home and it’s time to clean. He is dreadful at anything else. Toilets … dusting … windows – forget it. But vacuuming? He really goes to town. I see his future as being rather like your husband’s …
He is a gem, Kelly. And with that level of vacuuming skill, he will make his future wife very happy!
Hysterical turn – my husband sucks, too! 🙂 That was a super fun way to intro the topic.
Thanks, Allison. I thought it was kind of funny – glad it worked! Thanks for coming by.
Your first sentence made me laugh so hard! I actually do not mind doing the vacuuming. The things I hate about vacuuming is that my little kids think they ought to help by holding the cord, which just causes them to be underfoot.
Ooh, little kids “helping” is anything but helpful. At least they’re trying, right? And yes, that is pretty funny. He frequently tells me to write about his awesomeness. Like all the time.
This is so great Lisa! As I was reading how much you hate vacuuming I was thinking how interesting it is that some of us hate the things others really don’t mind at all. My worst is washing dishes! “Some parts of marriage sometimes suck and some responsibilities we could do without. Everyone has their own laundry list.” So so true.
Hi, Nikki. Very true – we all have different things we like and don’t. Now, if everyone could just take that same concept – all having different likes, but finding a way to work together so everyone is satisfied – we could do a whole lot of good in the world.
Lovely thoughts!
Great to learn your views. Yes, marriage is about balance & about understanding & helping one another.
After all, the couple is a team. May their team-work win with love!
Nice to have a caring partner.
Be blessed!
Thanks, Anita. It really does take teamwork to keep things going – whether it’s marriage or any other relationship, really. When everyone works together, things run smoothly and relationships thrive. It’s when one or both parties don’t work toward the common good that things fall apart.
I am going to go out on a limb and say that I bet you hate vacuuming because I spotted a Hoover there. In 30 yrs of marriage we have had one Hoover. Never again. So stinking loud that I could not tolerate it. Also, didn’t last a year before the sucking ceased…but that’s another story. Meanwhile, the Electrolux we bought as newlyweds keeps right on working and doesn’t make my ears bleed in the process!
Hmm…the vacuum cleaner we have IS pretty loud, but I’ve hated vacuuming my entire life. I made notes about the Electrolux, though, just in casee! 😉