sacrifice

Dean is back on this continent again. Yes! I picked him up from the airport this afternoon and he was in good spirits despite having had very little sleep in the past 5 days due to overnight flights and time zone changes and mondo meetings at his trade show. It was no surprise that after we had a chance to talk and smooch, he grabbed a quick bite to eat and then spent most of the evening on the couch sleeping. A friend of mine just called and asked if we were attending a party a mutual friend of ours was having tonight. I responded in the negative, citing Dean's recent return and his exhaustion. Sigh. I would like to be at the party. Sometimes sacrifice sucks.

Really, sacrifice sucks all the time. That's why they call it sacrifice. No one goes, "Woohoo, let's get our sacrifice on!" I have never heard, "I don't have enough sacrifice in my life." Who would ever say, "I would like to pursue a career in sacrifice?" And yet, sacrifice is part of our lives. We cannot do or have everything, so we have to choose which sacrifices we will make. Any relationship requires a lot of sacrifice if it is going to flourish and grow. Most days those sacrifices are easy, especially the big ones, because they are so obviously noble and right and we are doing it for someone we love. It is the little sacrifices that sometimes wear on me, like going to a restaurant or a movie that my mate prefers. Like adjusting my plans to someone elses. Like staying home instead of going out tonight.

At times like this when I am tempted to focus on the inconvenience and annoyance of it all, I remember the sacrifices that have been made for me. The trip to Cuba that we took in February was our third escape to the Caribbean. Dean has a hyper sensitivity to the sun and easily gets overheated. He actually breaks out in hives when he is in a hot climate for too long and therefore spends every afternoon in the air-conditioned rooms at these resorts while I lounge on the beach or at the pool. I recently asked him why we went to a sunny, hot location for our vacation when he might be more comfortable in a cooler locale. He said it was because he knew how much I loved the beach and the warmth. Wow! He did break out in hives on our last day in Cuba, but he never complained, just asked me to get him another pina colada with lots of ice.

So really, spending a quiet evening at home listening to my husband's deep breathing in the next room while I blog is not a bad way to spend a Saturday night after all.

This is the beach at Cayo Santa Maria at sunrise.