An Open Letter To My Wife

Dear Michelle,

I’ve been meaning to write this for quite some time.  You might think the timing is linked to Mother’s Day.  Not really, it just sort of happened this way.  You know the blog is usually about travel, whether it’s business, our family or one of my crazy trips.  But, it’s also my blog, so I get to write about what I want to.  Today, it’s about you.  And, a bit about travel.

There’s so many different things to cover, I’m sure I won’t get all of them.  And, I know I won’t really be able to put into words what I’m really trying to say.  So, forgive me if this rambles a bit.

Before the kids were born, I can remember so many great trips we took.  Remember when we went to London for the first time?  We didn’t realize the flight was so short (a red-eye, of course).  We stayed up to eat and drink champagne.  Did I mention we drank champagne?  Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque.  Remember the flight attendant gave us an unopened bottle to take with us?  That was on AA, back in the good old days.

Anyway, we showed up to our hotel, tired and a bit tipsy at about 9am.  Thank goodness they had a room available.  We proceeded to pass out and mess up our body clocks.  A painful early lesson on how to travel overseas.

How about dogsledding in Banff when you were pregnant with Catherine?  Those were great memories.  And, I love you for all of them.  But, it was after we started having kids that’s really the part that leaves me in awe of you.

I know you remember that first flight we took with Catherine when she was 6 months old.  We had sooooo much luggage .  I was a hot mess, cursing as we walked through the airport with me pushing a teetering luggage cart.  We survived that trip, along with an incredible run of baby diarrhea on the plane.  You somehow made that part seem normal, and managed to calm me down during the luggage disaster.  We learned and improved.

There are so many trips that we’ve taken.  So many times I’ve been grumpy, irrational, unreasonable, setting a brutal pace to get everything done during our vacations.  Pretty much every time you’ve been up to the task, gently pushing me in the right direction when the kids needed a break (okay, sometimes more than gently).

But, none of that is your crowning achievement.

Since 2008, I’ve been on the road.  Mostly for business, but also for crazy MegaDO flights, Freddie Awards, and a handful of “just because” trips.  Like, “hey, I think I’ll go to Sydney for two days to try out Qantas First Class.”

How many times have I come to you with a change in my business travel schedule?  “Honey, I need to go to Denver and Las Vegas this week, and somehow squeeze in Salt Lake City.  If I leave Monday morning early, I can get it all in by Thursday night.  But, that means you won’t have me around to help get the kids to soccer practice on Thursday.  What do you think?”

The answer was always the same.  “I’ll figure it out.”

When you hear that answer enough times, you can take it for granted.  I thought about that when I was on my way home from Paris last week.  That was a “just because” trip, to spend a day with great friends.  You love Paris, but you stayed home with the kids.

You’re just as excited as me to visit Sydney.  And yet you’re home with the kids taking care of them while I take a few days to explore some random corner of the world.  That makes you a great mother, but it makes you an even better wife.  Someone who sacrifices her own happiness (and, given our kids some days, her sanity) to make others happy.

I doubt I’ll ever be able to thank you fully for everything you’ve done to make our family great.  I’m constantly tired from all the business travel, but I’m sure it’s nothing compared to you.  All those days where the kids were frustrating and it would have been so much easier to have your husband at home to help.  Raising two kids as a single mom half the year is tough.  The few times I’ve had to play single dad I’ve done quite poorly.  Those days leave me in even more awe of your spirit, your will power.

There’s another business trip coming up soon.  The cycle will start again.  To you, it’s just another day with a husband on the road.

To me, it’s another day that makes me so thankful to have you in my life.  Another day to make sure I don’t take you for granted.  Can’t wait to come home!

I love you, Mickie!

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