Todd, my husband, turned 35, and I had planned a fancy dinner for him. But just before the guests came, he skipped the party to watch the game at a bar. What did you do next? To put it simply, I won. After six years of marriage, you’d think Todd would learn to be thankful, but he hasn’t. I would throw my whole heart and soul into his birthday every year, but he would never notice. But this year, he felt even more entitled than usual.
As everyone talked about how great the food and decorations were after dinner, Todd thought it was time to take the lead on everything. He said, “I’m glad you all love it.” “This year I wanted it to be different.” I guess he didn’t notice me. That’s all there is to say about Todd. He doesn’t want to do anything but want credit. It showed me that he wasn’t the man I was in love with anymore. Then it was his 35th birthday. The last blow.
Todd told me about his plans while we were having dinner. He told Claire, “This year for my birthday I want a big, fancy dinner.” “Get my family, my friends, and everyone else to come.” I gave them a raised look. “Are you telling me to plan it?” He said, “Well, yeah.” “You’re good at this.” Please just make it nice, okay? I don’t want to look bad in front of everyone. “Sorry?” I said again. “Okay, don’t go too far or anything.” “Keep it classy.” I really didn’t want to agree, but I did so I could give him another chance.
It was his birthday, so I wanted to make it extra special, even though he didn’t deserve it. I worked hard over the next two weeks to plan Todd’s “big, proper birthday dinner.” I would give him classy if he asked for it. I would always tie my hair back when I got home from work and then get to work cleaning, sorting, and getting ready. To make sure everyone had a spot, I even asked our neighbor Janice for extra chairs and a folding table.
What did Todd add? Not a single thing. He took off his shoes and sat down on the couch one night, saying, “I’m swamped at work.” “But you got this, honey.” “You’re good at these things.” Are you good at these things? I was so worn out I almost cried. I almost snapped, but I smiled and said, “Yeah, I got this.” The party day had finally come. I got up early because I was determined to do a great job.
