Let’s say that hypothetically, your spouse has done something really pretty amazing for you. It’s not something that you can exactly reciprocate, so that’s not an option, but you do want to do something really special and nice to express your gratitude. In your particular situation, what would you do? Or, alternately, as the spouse deserving of gratitude, what would you appreciate?
(Making a derogatory reference here about the inevitable “steak and a blowjob” responses isn’t going to stop anyone from making such references, is it?)
I hate to say it, but I’d just make him a meatloaf. He really really really likes meatloaf, but I seldom make it because I find it labor intensive. We have steak all the time because it’s easy, so it’s not a big deal.
In fact, since you mentioned it, I owe Mr. Horseshoe a lil’ somethin’ for putting up with me this weekend, and that was specifically what he asked for when I left this morning: for me to bring home a bacon chzburger for lunch. He’ll get it, too. Maybe a malt to go with it, though that would be mostly for me.
My partner “has done something really pretty amazing for me” just by being my partner.
But if I really want to express my gratitude, I’ll take him to either Paris or Vienna or Barcelona or Nice. He goes to Europe all the time on business, but rarely with me, for pleasure.
let him sleep late on a couple weekends by taking the toddler upstairs with me;
tell him he can buy that new electronics/gaming gizmo NOW. You know, the gizmo he has been jonesing for months over and has been planning to buy months from now.
Often I will give him a foot rub before bed if he has been especially wonderful. Sometimes I will find a new restaurant that looks like it would appeal to him and we will go there for dinner. Occasionally I will find something he wanted (video game or book or something small) and surprise him with that kind of thing.
Gotta go with the cook whatever hits his fancy. He usually will mention something I haven’t made in a while and so I whip that up with a batch of his favorite cookies, pick up a can of honey roasted peanuts, see if there are any CD’s out for his favorite bands that he doesn’t already have, etc.
I haven’t been able to think of anything “big” to do for him, so I just overwhelm him with the little things.
My husband likes meatloaf too. I’ll make meatloaf, or lasagna, or pot roast. In fact, I made pot roast over the weekend, and he went into rhapsodies about it. I season flour, dredge the roast, and then brown it thoroughly on the stovetop. Then I add a mix of wine and beef broth, and add onions, celery, and carrots which I have peeled and cut up. Sometimes I add a turnip, too. Then it all goes in the oven.
I have some broth and beef left over, so tonight I’m going to make a roux and cut up some more veggies and cook them in the broth, add the cut up beef, and then thicken the broth. Possibly I’ll make biscuits or cornbread or garlic bread.
I am leaning towards this. There is a batch of cookies in the oven right now with his name on them. (Figuratively speaking.)
To address one other point, yes, MrWhatsit is amazing just by virtue of being my partner, blah blah etc. However, sometimes he rises above and beyond, and I want to show my appreciation. Trust me when I say that I cannot express the depth of my sheer and utter delight for those of you who have relationships in which every single moment of every single day is already filled with maximum displays of appreciation between you and your partner.