It is hard to believe that it has been 17 years since I built the house that we live in. Ok, I didn’t exactly build it – the construction company did. However, while they were building it that spring and summer, the boys and I finished the basement while the builders were doing the main level.
Being intimately involved in the building process on a day to day basis allowed us to “know” the house well. As a result, I know when something sounds differently or out of whack. This was evident recently when my wife and I were sitting in the living room talking and one of the downstairs drain pumps came on. There are three different pumps in the mechanical room that serve different purposes. While my wife wasn’t even aware that one had kicked on, I knew not only that one had engaged but I knew by the sound which one it was.
It made me wonder – do I know my wife as well as I know our house? Or for you, it might be – do you know your spouse as well as you know the sounds of the engine in your car or the sounds coming from your child’s room? Are you intimately engaged with your spouse in such a manner that when he or she is unusually quiet, agitated, stressed, or hurt – that you would know? Or do you blow by them, oblivious to what is going on?
We all want to matter to our mate. We want to know that we are important to them – important enough that they notice us what is going on within us. Do you know the sound of when things are out of sync? Look this week to determine how you can be better attuned to your partner’s needs. Listen closely.