Can You Win the Day? by Pennie Hunt

I don’t remember exactly how it started. One of us did something we thought was great and announced, “I won the day!”

The competition began.

My husband would mow our acre and a half property in between rainstorms, and he won the day. I would try a new recipe and create an amazing meal and I won the day.

This went on for weeks. Sometimes we both did something amazing and had to divide the day… one of us won the morning and the other won the afternoon. We even had a few days where our efforts created an equal tie.

Somewhere along the way we had a revelation. This fun competition resulted in us getting so much more done. We began completing tasks we had put off for months or longer. We were moving more. We were feeling better. We were proud of what we accomplished. This made us want to do more.

That was all great, but what we realized was it went way deeper than that. When we looked back at all the things we had done, something jumped out like a neon sign flashing in front of our faces.

Most of the tasks we accomplished, we did so with the other person in mind. I wasn’t creating fabulous meals for me. I was creating them for him. It brought me joy to see his face when he ate them. He wasn’t detailing the inside of my car for himself. He was doing it because he knows I enjoy a clean car. We were doing things for each other that saved the other person time. Things that made each other smile. Things that the other person wanted done, but didn’t have time to do. Things that were a surprise and out of the ordinary. Things that brought joy and happiness to the other person.

Some of this has been simple and easy. Some of this has been hard, sweaty, I-don’t-really-want-to-do-it work. Either way, this has become a habit, a ritual, a gift to each other, with an award at the end. It is now a big deal to be able to say,
“I won the day!”

Winning the day is a glorious feeling. An inner badge of honor. A reward for gifting love to the other person.

That is really what it is. A way to show love. A gift of love. Usually when one of us sees what the other person did, we announce, “YOU just won the day!” If no one says that we check in with each other and ask, “Did I win the day?”

I believe that is really code for, “Did I make you feel loved today?”

What I know about my husband is that his top two Love Languages are acts of service and words of affirmation. So, if I do something for him it makes him feel loved. If he does something for me and wins the day, he will receive a boost of affirmation. It is a win-win either way. (See The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman.)

This process has grown organically into something bigger than we could imagine. No, we don’t get up every day and stand at the starting line with our work clothes on and race to see who can do more and finish first. Most of the time it is done in a subtle manner - no whistles, no standing ovations, and absolutely no walk of shame or label of loser.

I don’t remember exactly how it started, but I do know what it created.  A daily gift of love.
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                                                     Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                    Start winning the day – not just for you,
​                                               but for someone you love! 
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#CornerofSpiritandBrave #loveyourlifenomatterwhat #journeythrough #PennieHunt #YouAreGoodEnough
YOUR TURN...        
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