Many times we would sit on the curb and wait until we saw his car coming. We would crawl into the car and laugh and talk all the way home. R.J. felt loved and appreciated, and the children learned to honor and respect their father. Don t beat yourself up. Nor does it mean that you have to run interference for him.
Appreciation does go one step further though, and takes on the form of understanding and empathy.
He faces traffic, the career rat race, financial problems, and unbelievable stress. He desperately needs your understanding and empathy daily. Appreciation is the heart of a beautiful marriage. It has a way of covering over past hurts and painful memories. It may not erase all of them completely, but it will slowly smooth out the rough, splintery edges.