Saying nothing...

The hobbits and I caught up with some good friends over a healthy lunch today.

After spending at least a good half hour freezing our asses off at the local park, we adjourned to their house for hot dogs and chip shop chips; just what he needed having only had an hours sleep last night travelling back from Austria.

I was most envious to hear of his week...having gone to Austria to experience the Snowbomb festival.  Not only did he get to ski all week, hang out with Eddie the Eagle (who apparently is a complete ace of a guy) but he also got to listen to some of the best new bands around.

Travelling one evening up on a cable car he spent an evening listening to Kasabian who played to the crowds from outside an igloo...what a buzz; had an amazing week seeing Example, Urban Knights and Fat Boy Slim...in the snow, in the forests, drinking Jaegermeister to keep warm...and he did it all in the name for an article he is writing for a National Newspaper.

How jealous do you think I am right now? I want his job!

His lovely wife was at home for the week working hard, looking after their gorgeous children and managing deadlines herself. They have a very solid marriage and both respect each other and support individual choices that they need to do.

So he had a week away playing and loving a little bit of freedom, exactly how a healthy relationship should be. However, what made me love this story even more was his reaction when he called his wife last Thursday to see how she was.

She had had a bad day at work herself with publishing deadlines and in all a bit of a week of it. Immediately sensing that she needed him more in that moment, he listened to her day and when she asked him about whether or not he was having fun, he simply replied, "yeah, it is ok." Nothing more.

That was the moment.
He didn't gloat, he didn't gush about what a ball he was having, who he was seeing and experiencing ....he just said it was ok. It wasn't the time to say those things and make her feel worse...showing the man he is that he put her in his mind first before anything else.

Another example, if needed, that sometimes saying little to nothing is the best response to a situation.