My Christmas Blessing

As all who read this blog can attest, Gina chronicles everything that goes on in the lives of the Galeana’s. Though our lives are quite routine and sedentary in many ways, there is always enough excitement to go around in our little corner of the world worthy of noting for our children to read and reflect on years down the road, as they grow older. I trust that Gina has already documented enough to this point that when Emily & Benjamin one day show the interest, and take the time to review these stories, they will be extremely grateful to their mother, as I am; these days and memories of ours are priceless.

I wanted to spend sometime blogging about my wife, since so much of what is blogged about casts Benjamin and Emily into the spotlight. I woke this morning, and the first thing I thought of is Gina and what she means to me. I really have no words or manner of expression to draw upon that would describe how much she has shaped my life, surely for the better. I often do a rather poor job of expressing that to her, since I tend to get hunkered down under the mental burdens or perceived burdens of my own anxieties, be they work related or otherwise. In truth, I owe Gina everything. When I first met her, I was searching for a life partner, and really had nothing to offer that I was really confident would add anything to her life. I remember the first time walking into her home, learning what she did for a living and of the responsibility that came with her work, realizing she was a very mature and put together woman, and thought to myself, there’s no way this was going to work. “She’ll quickly see through my façade”, is what I thought. Very fortunately for me though, we hit it off from the beginning, and from that day until the present time, I have never looked back, except to fondly reflect upon the past years we've spent together.

Gina has always been easy to be with. She adds no stress to my life, only peace, calm, and much joy. Now I know Gina will read this and say to herself, “Yeah right. How about all the times you roll your eyes at me, turn and walk away, or flat out argue with me? Am I adding joy to your life in those moments?” First off, we are not perfect; not that that even needs clarifying. We have our ups and downs as is the case with any couple; but when I reflect upon my less than positive responses to her, I realize that my responses are often borne out of a reluctance to be anything more or to do anything more than what I prefer at that moment. Truth be told, I have a proclivity for laziness, I prefer to stay close to home, and to not socialize. A lot of my eye rolling, or sarcasm, or flat out arguing is an attempt to resist Gina getting me or us to do something that would break me out of my complacency. I do thank God quite literally that she is generally the opposite of what I am in that sense. Our life would not be as it is, if she had not been as adept as she is at coaxing me out of my shell. I owe her so much. Certainly, the fact that we have 2 beautiful children would not be possible.

I look around our house, at our children, I remember where we were, where we’ve gone, what we’ve done, and where we are now. There is nothing I can think of or see, that would have ever been without Gina. She manages our finances, pays all the bills, she does our grocery shopping, she does our laundry, she was the one who made sure Emily attended pre-school this year and last, and makes sure she gets there on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. She helps Emily with her numbers and letters. She joined a few Mom groups, certainly not because she needed more friends, but to ensure our children had some playmates their own age. She takes all our family pictures, knowing full well I am terrible at focusing. She fixes Emily’s hair everyday, a skill I have yet to acquire; she makes sure the kids have snacks and something to drink before we head out anywhere, as she knows that will make them and their tummy's happy. She prepares close to 100% of all our dinners, and with nearly equal percentage, she is the last one to sit down to dinner, making sure that everyone, including yours truly, first has something to eat and drink. She potty trained both our kids, sees to it that their routine medical appointments are made and kept, takes care of them at home, and generally waits on them hand and foot, no matter how she feels. When I jokingly ask her how the “job” is going, she tells me the pay is lousy. Of course, I know her love for me and the children, regardless of the personal sacrifice to her, is something she would never want to give up. She knows what love is and what it looks like. It is not a feeling, but a willing decision to give, self-sacrificially, followed by action. She does this exceedingly well. During the wintertime, she refuses to turn on the heat in the home, except at night; when I shiver, she tells me to throw on a jacket, to suck it up, and assures me that “roughing it” will only build my character. Ha! If ever I lose or can’t find something, I can always rely on Gina to know where it is--always. I sometimes tell myself, “she’ll never find it; I’ve looked all over the house.” Of course, I am always amazed when she does what I generally consider to be the impossible. I would also add that it is a good thing she’s as an intelligent and sharp minded woman as she is, because unfortunately for her, as every year goes by, she is forced to do more of my thinking and remembering, in addition to her own. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that she is still the most beautiful woman in the world to me. She was a fox when I met her, and she remains so today.

On a very personal note, I have to say thank-you Gina for still looking at me with genuine love and desire, for always having a kiss and hug for me, for making me feel that I am the center of your life. You have always been true to your marriage vows to me, never casting doubt in my mind of your loyalty and devotion to us as a married couple. At this time of the year, this season of giving, I just want to thank-you Gina for giving me, our children, and our family everything you have, and on most days, probably more than you thought you had. I appreciate you always giving 100%, even when your “tank” is running on fumes. I love you Sweetheart, and Merry Christmas.