The other night my wife and I were coming out of the store after grabbing some food for dinner. I was holding a few grocery bags, and my wife was helping our daughter with her water bottle. As we were approaching the car, I went to the passager side and opened up the door for my wife. Holding the door, I looked at her and gave her a loving smile. My wife’s face lit up like a shooting star. She was beaming with surprise, her smile widened, her eyes glistened with love, and she said: “thank you.” I responded with “you’re welcome” and made sure she was in the car and then shut the door.
As I was walking around to my side of the car, something hit me. That simple act of chivalry made my wife very happy. It also made me happy. Seeing her face express so much joy reminded how much I love her and how much she means to me.
I learned a long time ago about the importance of holding doors open for the person behind you or rushing ahead to open the door and letting everyone go ahead of you. To me, this is very important, and it shows respect and kindness for others.
Opening the car door always seemed like something you did on a date night or a special occasion, but after seeing my wife’s reaction the other night, I’ve realized that this is something I need to do consistently for her. It might not be possible every time we get in a car together, but it’s something I can do more often than not.
My wife and I are continually looking for ways to show each other how important our marriage is and how much we care for each other. It’s never one-sided, but sometimes it’s not always 50/50. Life gets in the way, but we always strive to hold our percentage of the agreement up. We both make our best effort to show our appreciation for one another every day.
After years of being married to my wife, I never knew how good it would make me feel to do the simple act of opening the car door for her. I’ve done it before, but this time was different. Maybe it’s where we’re at in our marriage, maybe its because I don’t do it very often, perhaps I never paid close enough attention, whatever the reason, I realize now how important it is to my wife and that she enjoys it.
When you think about it, it’s not really about the act of opening and closing the car door. It’s about showing respect to your partner and that you are willing to do the small things to make them feel wanted, sexy, and loved.
