Lunch Notes

We read in magazines and parenting books about the importance of being thoughtful and loving towards our children by tucking sweet messages into their lunchboxes.  There are even tips on how to be creative, ranging in use from a napkin, to a colorful, cutesie notepad.  Then, of course, there is the ink shade, and suggestions about what words to form.

Our spouse/significant other can also use a little daily boost.  Like our children, they enjoy being reminded and reassured that they are loved, appreciated, and thought of. 

When my husband and I were courting, we "hid" notes and cards in each other's homes, knowing that later, when we were each alone, the printed evidence of affection would bring a smile and warm our hearts.

I have continued something similar today.  Gone are the days of purchased, mushy cards and hand-colored messages.  Instead, I now use recycled paper, salvaged from the advertising packets that arrive in the mail.  They are the perfect size for folding in half, which allow the original author to write on one portion and anticipate a reply on the other.  Each evening, I write my husband a note and place it with his lunch and snack foods for him to take to work.  In the morning, he enters the kitchen and looks on the counter for his note.  Later, I look on that same counter to see what he wrote back.  Some days, we have a few things to say to each other...reminders about plans for the evening, assurance that prayers are being said for a safe drive to work/taking care of errands, and thanks for tasks we complete that benefit the other (my husband LOVES that I prepare his food for him to take to work, and thanks me often).  Other times, we don't have much to say (especially my husband, whose brain is not fully awake until after a cup or two of coffee tea), except "I love you", and "I hope you have a good/productive day".  The length and content of the note is not what matters; just the fact that we each took a moment to stop and think of the other. 

Maybe you are in a relationship where you are gushing with ideas of what to write to your significant other.  Or, perhaps things are not exactly as you would like them to be, and the thought of taking the initiative to be caring seems like a task that might go unappreciated, and possibly not reciprocated.  It has been my experience, especially during those "slow" times, that writing even the simplest of messages can in time encourage a reconnection. 

Start simple, or go all out with fancy paper and cards.  Just do it.  Leave someone a note to discover.  The very act of it will cheer you, and perhaps brighten someone else's day, too.