Missing The Missus

My lovely wife has left me.

No, nothing like that. It's just for the weekend. Jeannie and my sister, Nona, have taken a Thelma and Louise trip to San Antonio so Nona can have the pleasure of running in a half-marathon Sunday. Jeannie isn't running, just going as moral support.

That leaves me in charge of running the house, and as much as we might blow and bluster as men, we are usually grossly unequipped to handle such responsibility.

Even as I write this, I've retreated the comfort and warmth of my mom and dad's house. Coby is with Uncle Monty, playing baseball somewhere of course. I would be there too except for the fact it's ETBU's home basketball opener tonight and I have to work. So it's me and my girls -- plus cousin Kaylee -- spending the afternoon at my mother's.

Thankfully, "Nanny" enjoys shopping on Saturday with her granddaughters. So Melody and Kaylee are enjoying that particular benefit, while I sit here watching the 'Horns whip up on Kansas while waiting for time to go to the gym.

Abby you ask? She's taken care of, thank you. Fast asleep on Papaw's bed, after much protest about said nap. She didn't fight long, though. A couple of cruises around the house on Papaw's lap in his trusty scooter, and she was out like a light.

So everything to this point is pretty well taken care of, except...I miss Jeannie. I say that to her face and normally get the eye-roll, as though I'm setting her up for something. But it's true, I miss her.

I've tried to explain it to her in terms I could understand. Women will never understand how important it is for us men to feel the comfort of knowing the wife and mom is home, taking care of things. I'm all for Jeannie enjoying this time away and getting some down time for herself, because mommies and wives need it too. But my best days are knowing that I have Jeannie around and knowing that she's there when and if I need her.

And no, it's not because I don't enjoy the times when it's just me and my children. There's a certain moment in a kid's life when, yes, they need their daddy around and just daddy. They need to know that daddy cares and daddy enjoys spending time with them.

But there's nothing like mom. And there's nothing like my wife. Over the years she's become my best friend on the planet. We can enjoy intimate thoughts, share things that we would share with no one else, and kid each other most any time. When she's not around I miss the comraderie.

But she's also beginning to understand my needs, even when she's out enjoying her time. She wouldn't leave until she had made sure all the kids had clothes washed and put out for today and for church tomorrow. Could I have done it? Sure. You bet. It would have been extremely stressful, but I could have got 'er done.

But mommy took care of it, and now all I have to worry about is making sure they are fed and at church on time. Much, much less stress for dad.

And much less stress for dad's kids.