Motel 6 and "We''ll Leave the Light on For You"

Back in the day, actually, about 20 years ago, when Tom Bodett of Motel 6 fame promised to leave the light on for all of us, I remember what a homey feeling his voice had and the thought of someone leaving the light on for me made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The Motel 6 adman did a wonderful job of making me, and I am sure plenty of others, feel as though Tom Bodett and the people at Motel 6 really cared about me. I haven't thought of that campaign or Tom Bodett for many years, until the other night Chuck was due home after dark, and I decided to leave the light on for him. At one end of our circular driveway there is a lamp post. During winter months when I would arrive home from substitute teaching and running errands, I could almost count on the light being left on for me. It made me feel the same way those ads for Motel 6 did...warm and fuzzy inside, and as though someone cared about me. Only this time, it's Chuck that cares about me, not Motel 6. Wanting to share those same feelings of caring, I left the light on for him. And I started to think about my life before Chuck. In my first marriage, I don't think I was as conscious about doing those little things. I may have been before kids, but not to the extent I do those little things now. That's one of the things a second marriage does for me. It gives me a second chance to think about the things that really matter in a marriage, and to make sure I do them right THIS time. I try not to spend too much time dwelling on what went wrong in my first marriage. I have been there, and done that and I think I have it figured out enough to learn from my mistakes, but not dwell on it. But I do realize that life is short and I do not have eons to get this marriage thing right. I only have whatever time God gives me with Chuck so I need to make each day count. That means doing those little things that add up to a loving and caring marriage. It means making sure when I replace the toilet paper roll that I put it on the way Chuck likes it. ( It doesn't matter to ME mind you, but since it does matter to Chuck, I try to pay attention...if you have read this far, please leave a comment below just for fun about whether or not you like your toilet paper to come down from over the top of the roll, or from underneath)! Here's what I mean: Do you like your TP to dispense from over the roll (left) or under the roll (right)? Or does it matter?

And there are other things too that matter, and I try to remember. Like after I get water out of the refrigerator door, I try to remember to put the lever back on ice so when Chuck goes to get ice, he won't end up with a glass full of water. And to make sure I keep the door to the guest bathroom closed when not in use. Now in case you think it's all one sided, Chuck does the same for me. I don't like it when cupboard doors are left open so he tries to close them now where once he didn't pay attention and would shut them only when he noticed. And I don't like kissing him after he eats onions so he tries not to eat them when we will be spending an evening together. I think in marriage, whether first, second, or sixth...keeping track of those little things and trying to keep an eye on them to please a mate is a very considerate thing. And consideration means caring. I am doing much better at making a point of being considerate in my second marriage and not take my husband for granted. My second marriage is giving me a second chance to get it right! And for that I am grateful.