When my husband comes home (often it is past 10 or 11 pm due to his work schedule) and gives me a big hug and says how lucky he is to have me for his wife, and then tells me how awful some of his co-workers have it. Generally, I don't think I'm all that great. I mean, sure, I'm a good mom, etc.. but I don't chair every committee at school, have assigned volunteer days in each of their classes, grow my own vegetables, cook from scratch and iron the sheets or any other superhuman/supermom qualities like that. I'm a pretty ordinary gal. Some days I slack and am lazy. Some days I put up with a lot dealing with the kids. Some days I actually get them to doctor's appointments, piano lessons and karate lessons and get their homework checked, dinner made, and the kids into bed at a reasonable hour. But rarely do I really truly go WAY beyond what is necessary...
So when he comes home and tells me that he really feels for so & so, because his wife (wants a divorce, is cheating, is a nutcase, etc) or because so & so, who is a single dad, is struggling to find someone to help with the kids when he is at work (odd hours) and is totally without help (no family locally, wife split town), etc. And how we are so blessed to not be in those situations,etc... it just really makes me feel warm inside.
Somehow, it always seems to be on a day that things have gone haywire and the house is a wreck and I feel like a bad wife/mom, too. :))
And then there are the nights when I tuck my kids into bed, and my 12 year old middle schooler gives me a big big squeeze and doesn't want to let me go. :)