When I was 10, my Dad told my Mom that he loved her in a way I’ll never forget.
We lived in Malaysia at the time. Like most houses in that country, a large wall surrounded our yard. To get in the house, you had to unlock a gate, drive the car in, relock the gate, unlock the screen door and then unlock front door: a tedious process, to be sure, but nothing unique to that part of the world.
We had almost completed the process I describe above – Dad was unlocking the front door – when my Mom said, “I sure want a Big Gulp.” (A Big Gulp was the biggest drink you could get at 7-Eleven at that time.) She didn’t say it like she thought anyone would do anything about it, she just stated a fact.
My Dad looked at her, “Do you really want a Big Gulp?”
She tilted her head, and smiled, “Yeah.”
Dad pulled his key out of the door, “Let’s go get a Big Gulp.”
We piled into the car, went through the above process in reverse, safely navigated Malaysian traffic as we drove across town, and got Mom a Big Gulp.
Years later, the first year we were married, Christi said, “I wish I had some ice cream. “
I looked at her and smiled, “Do you really want some ice cream?”
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
That's such a wonderful reflection!!!
Yeah. It's funny. I'm not sure I remember much of any lectures on love my parents gave. Examples like these I remember 20+ years later. Makes me wonder if I'm being the right example of love for my kids.
What a sweet story, and a beautiful picture of love.