As we walk through the airport, I look at the man walking in front of me.  That is not the man I married.  

The man I married would have been lounged somewhere, relaxing with his feet up, checking the hockey scores, without a care in the world.

This man was not lounged, and definitely not relaxing.  

How could he be relaxed?  He was making his way through a giant international airport, carrying a toddler in one arm and an over-stuffed Dora backpack in the other.  He had a pink bib hanging out of the back pocket of his jeans and even though a trip to the washroom would mean no time for a coffee, he was searching frantically for a bathroom to appease his newly potty trained toddler. She had loudly declared to him, and everyone else within ear shot that she had to pee. 

As I lagged behind with a baby strapped to my chest, I took a look at the duo in front of me.

It was obvious: He was a good Dad.  My heart wanted to burst open with love.  For both of them.

That man walking in front of me was far from the man I married.  He was far better.

He had morphed from a solo being to the keeper of our family.  We were “his girls.”

When I married him I always knew I wanted a family, but it was someplace off in the distance.  We were both yuppies, living together, but with very much, two separate lives.  Thoughts of kids weren’t on our mind.

When our status eventually changed from ‘DINKS’ to ‘Oh, we’ve got kids all right,’ there wasn’t much about our lives that was left separate.  Our relationship solidified in a way we never expected.

We became a family.

I watch my husband take care of our daughters and my love grows for them all with each giggle I hear in our house.

He may make their ponytails lopsided, put them in mismatched pyjamas, and never give them a vegetable, but he loves his family, and I love that.

Author

Lisa is the author behind the blog Canadian Expat Mom. She lives in the South of France with her husband and their two French-born daughters. When her family isn’t in the land of wine and cheese, they can be found exploring the globe with far too much luggage. Lisa is currently working on her first novel; a humerous memoir about her adventures in France that will leave you feeling like you just shared a bottle of Bordeaux with your best girlfriend. Follow Lisa on Facebook for more stories of travel and life in France.

3 Comments

  1. I love that you tell the story of children actually strengthening marriage. Seems that more often than not the prevailing chatter is of how kids drag down marriages, invite fracture, diminish romance, etc. Thanks for your all-important message. I’ve experienced the same thing over 23 years of marriage, two wonderful kids and several years as an expat mom myself 🙂
    Cheers!

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