The most telling thing was the confusion. “Why aren’t there prices on the menu?” “Who is throwing this?” “What’s going on?” Husbands aren’t used to being thanked for what they do, it’s not part of the job. So, when we threw a night Honoring Husbands for the work they do, for the sacrifices they make and devotion they put into their families and homes, it took a second for them all to settle into what was happening.

It had become obvious to me over the course of the past year the level of work, of focus that these men were putting into their homes, and the reason that they were doing the work, for their wives and children. It was honorable work these men were doing, worthy work, and it only felt right to take notice of it and do something.

Beer was the most obvious way of saying thanks, and so we got growlers of their favorite beers for each of them. No two men got the same beer oddly enough, an example of a board spectrum of people who were at this event, but the one thing which was true for all of them was what they had done for their families.

Ryan spent three weeks of nights repairing, updating, and organizing his old house after his move to get it ready to sell. Dominic redid the countertops and floors in his house to try and improve the price for his home before it was sold. Patrick worked two jobs to gather the resources to get his family financially prepared to buy a house. All these men had stories of how they had given to their families to make their homes better. They had moved mountains, they had done jobs which at the outset looked impossible, and they had done it without thought of thanks.

There was food, there was drink, and finally under a cloudy dusk, accented by lightning and firelight, the wives took a moment to share how important these men are in their own words. It was a beautiful outpouring which revealed the many stresses of life, and how each husband was a buffer, shield and support, invaluable in what they do and in who they are. The most common sentiment “I couldn’t do it without you.”