When two people commit to spending the rest of their lives together, they are rarely thinking about all of the annoying little habits of their partner. Nonetheless, that’s why the words “for better or for worse” were woven into the common vow, as one B.C. wife has come to understand.

When it comes down to the brass tax of everyday living, couples soon find out that, no matter how much they love each other, their other half has a few quirks that get them peeved pretty quickly. This is especially true regarding dirty laundry and where it should go.

Confronting the person about their annoying habits may be easier said than done, though. And often, if approached in the wrong way, it will only lead to an argument. So what is one to do? You’re left feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place. Confront them and risk their hurt and anger, or bottle it up to explode on them later?

The answer is neither.

Caitlin Fladager is a young wife and mother who knows the anxiety of dealing with such feelings all too well. Recently, though, she decided to shift her perspective a little and was amazed by how it affected her relationship to her husband.

In a post to Love What Matters, the irked wife shared a story about how she came to change her mind about the way she feels about dirty laundry and why, and her post is inspiring thousands.

Caitlin married her high school sweetheart, Noah and they have two beautiful children together. While they have a beautiful and flourishing marriage, they do still go through some of the regular old ups and downs that come with living together.

One of those issues is the dirty laundry. For Caitlin, seeing a pile of dirty laundry right next to the laundry basket is maddening. As it is for most moms. Recently, though, the wife suddenly found herself feeling thankful when she stumbled upon the dirty mess on her floor.

“My husband can never put his clothes IN the dirty laundry basket. They’re always on the floor. And it makes me appreciate him even more,” the wife wrote.

Caitlin continued to explain that she had recently read a post from another complaining wife over the same dilemma.

That woman had written about how men are incapable of picking up after themselves. An old, relatively harmless joking-type of complaint, but one that many women agree with all the same. Caitlin, too, found herself agreeing with the sentiment, until something happened that made her shift her perspective on the entire situation.

“My husband came home from work, played with our children a little, asked what was for dinner, if I needed anything, then went to take a shower. Ten minutes later, I walk past the laundry basket, right where our washroom also is. And I see it. The thing that would usually make me yell through the shower door. The thing that has annoyed me for so long. But this time, I see something different,” her post continued.

When the irritated wife began sifting through the pile of clothes, she realized a few things. His shirt was filthy from a day filled with sweat. His boots were covered in muck. His socks and pants were covered in grit and dirt. What Caitlin realized, was that her husband works hard for his family.

With that in mind, the loving wife took a different approach to dealing with the laundry than she normally would have.

“So, I looked at those dirty clothes on the floor, that I once would have started a fight over, and I picked them up, put them in the basket, and walked away,” she wrote.

When her husband got out of the shower, Caitlin was met with an unexpected response for her kindness to him.

“When he got out of the shower, he noticed his dirty shoes and clothes were no longer there, and that I hadn’t said anything. And he thanked me. Which he had never done before, probably because I was too quick to start an argument about it. He said ‘Thank you for putting that away. I had a long day.’“

Caitlin concluded her post by saying that she had seen her husband in a whole new light that day, although it may have taken her quite a while to see it. A light that, clearly, she fell even more in love with.

Though there is no question in Caitlin’s mind that she’s a blessed wife for how hard her husband works to provide for their family, we hope she knows what a blessing she is to him, as well. Marriage is hard and it can be ruthless at times, and the only way to fight your way through it is with an attitude of love.

We hope this young couple celebrates many more decades of a happy marriage to one another, and that Caitlin keeps inspiring us with her posts.

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H/T: Shareably