Ooey Gooey Gesture

Day #76 (April 20, 2019)

Hey Jesus,

            So, yesterday my man took such good care of me that, today, it only felt right that I take great care of him and make him one of his favorite home cooked meals. Dane LOOOOOVES jumbo stuffed pasta shells, Lord. (Like seriously loves them.) Utilizing my mom’s recipe, I stuffed about 12 jumbo shells (6 for each of us) with ground beef, spinach, cheese, and spices. I then covered my six with a garlic tomato sauce and Dane’s six with a white alfredo sauce, since my man absolutely despises tomatoes. And if that does not sound scrumptious enough, to finish everything off, I covered the stuffed shells in a thick layer of mozzarella cheese and baked them to an ooey gooey mess of absolute perfection. Soooo good!

            Now, Dane is normally the one doing all the cooking in our little family, but today was his day to be treated to a well-deserved break. So, as he played his video games, I stuffed all 12 of the jumbo shells while listening to a golden oldies playlist. Okay, small tangent: I often feel like I was born in the wrong time and was not meant for this technological age. (Maybe a strange thing to say since I am utilizing technology to share my writing haha.) I just gravitate to the retro aesthetic and style of music (even some of the clothing) of the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. Sometimes I wonder, though, if I would love the retro vibe as much as I do if I had been born in those “golden” decades, and been completely surrounded by it, or if the love I have for anything retro is made more wonderful because I get to choose it. I suppose I will not be able to answer that question fully, any time soon, but I will say my old soul enjoyed listening to “The King” (Mr. Elvis Presley) as I prepped the stuffed shells for baking. (Oh, and did I mention that old soul of mine was also halfheartedly batting away catcalls coming from a certain gentleman on the other side of the couch haha!?)

            Gosh, Lord, as I was puttering around the kitchen, Dane was being his typical silly self. He kept telling me how sexy I was again. (The dude seriously needs glasses LOL.) Believe me, Lord, I was not looking sexy whatsoever. I was dressed in my baggy pj pants and top, my oversized pink sweatshirt, a pair of hot pink socks with cats on them (nothing more seductive than that), and my raggedy slippers. Oh, and I had no makeup on, and my hair was haphazardly thrown up in a silver clip. Absolutely nothing sexy about that entire image, but for some reason he insisted upon the fact that I was the hottest thing around. (The smell of cheese baking must have infiltrated his brain, prompting his heart to go all a flutter or something.) Silly as this all sounds, Lord, I truly was happy I could please him in some small way because that man of mine deserves a delicious homemade meal, made by his supposed “sexy” wife, so he knows his selflessness never goes unnoticed.

            So, with that said, I sure am glad the meal turned out delicious. (I mean with the amount of cheese I put in it, and on it, how could one hate it!?) That ooey gooey meal really was the perfect fit for such a rainy day—supplying a stick to your insides kind of contentment—and was made even more complete by the addition of a couple glasses of white wine that Dane surprisingly supplied. (He just can’t help himself.) Lord, I hope the gesture of a homecooked meal made Dane’s heart and stomach happy because, like I have said on repeat for weeks now, he goes far and beyond in order to take care of me. He helps me when my body hurts, and he helps me when my OCD is attacking me. And, admittedly Lord, it is hard to always feel like I am the one who needs taking care of constantly in this relationship. So, I thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to take care of my husband today, even if it was just his need to eat. Though the display of care and devotion is different, I don’t believe it is lesser (just curated to the specific need of the other at that specific time), and it sure felt good to show my love and thanks to my husband in this small way. (And I love you too, Lord. Don’t you forget that!)

Always,

Your Daughter Kaitlan

P.S. Lord, I would like to pray for those who feel like they are the ones in their relationship that always seem to have a “problem” to fix. I ask that they have a day soon where they are able to take care of certain needs of a family member or friend who has been going far and beyond to help them in their hour of need (e.g., making them a homecooked meal, grocery shopping for them, mowing the lawn for them, etc.). Not for the reason of “settling a presumed debt” but because it genuinely feels good to reciprocate the same love, care, and devotion back to someone who has been kind to you. (Plus, it honestly feels great to set your mind on another person’s needs rather than your own.) It is a wonderful cycle of kindness and thankfulness I pray we all can participate in, Lord. Thank you.

Thank you for reading! If you are new, this is a chronological blog series. It is best read in order. CLICK HERE for the intro.