We show up for each other
Since I had my first inkling of an idea to start my own business, I have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from Sam. I literally teared up when I read his blog post, My wife, the Mogul.
Sam and I have been married for over 16 years, and one of our guiding principles in our marriage is “we show up for each other.” Over th years, this has become a mantra we repeat to our kids almost as often as, “make good choices, learn everything.” Whenever one of us says ‘thank you’ to the other for attending a boring thing the other one is obligated to attend, helping with frantic pre-holiday cleaning spree, or any of the millions of other things we ask of each other, the response is always “of course, we show up for each other.”
While I love this response, we both know that ‘showing up for each other’ takes effort, dedication, and an unwavering desire to remain a team. Leading up to #wanderwingrocks, my first guerrilla marketing campaign to build my email list and gain traction, I got 2,000 jars that all needed 2 stickers per jar, 1 temporary tattoo, and counted out into over 40 bags for distribution. Sam jumped right in to place stickers, cut temporary tattoos, and so much more. When I had to work late, Sam stickered away. When getting to the couch turned into a game of “the floor is lava” because it was covered in stickers, jars, and countless bits of paper - Sam just tiptoed and climbed around. When our entire hallway was lined with Trader Joe’s bags full of jars, Sam just shimmied on past.
Sam showed up for me over the last few weeks, and every time I thanked him, he said “Of course. We show up for each other.” Every time I hear or say this response its like reconfirming our vows. While we are casual in our response, we both know that we are serious in our commitment to make a conscience effort every day to show up for each other.
As we start businesses, raise kids, and watch them grow up and out of our homes. This commitment is what has taken us from newlyweds to parents. Next, it will take us to our next chapter, as we find each other again and our hands on parenting days come to a close.