I Love You Mow-er Every Year!

Posted on by Michele Morin

I wasn’t born yesterday, so I could see it coming.  The family lawn mowing business has been getting bigger every year, giving rise to spin-offs where, one after the other, the boys have bought their own equipment, found their own customers, and moved on, leaving . . . yup.  She who used to just make the sandwiches, pack the cooler, and watch over the youngest wee mower is now driving the John Deere.

Who would have thought that this could be a good thing?  But lately, on the odd Saturday, when Morins are moving in all directions, it’s been just the two of us — my patient husband and I sitting alone in the front seat of the forest green pick-up truck having an entire conversation.  As we drive to the first lawn, we catch up on our read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year-together-out-loud resolution, and maybe . . . just maybe, we’ll  even get ahead on our reading.  We spend moments talking about what we’ve read, because hearing the Truth allows us to listen to the words as they are formed, to  notice different details.  Reading chronologically, we delight in the soaring cadence of the Psalms, and then sputter together over the decline, the gradual but steady wheels-coming-off of the kingdom of Israel.  And just as no one — not even one king over Israel — got out of his royal bed one morning and said, “Let’s apostacize and spurn the living God until we drag the whole nation into judgment and exile,” neither do the wheels come off a marriage all at once.  Time spent together is like routine maintenance, necessary for our mowing equipment, and even more critical for our relationship in which time is needed for saying essential words:

How are we doing?
You’re still my favorite.
I love you.

In the summer time, in the beauty of green leaves and blue sky, we each notice privately that our years of working together in other ways have bred a wordless communication in our approach to a mowing job.  As we open the cooler for lunch, we remark on the fact, gratified at this evidence of compatibility.

“Yes, this relationship could work.  And it could keep on working.”

We gas up the thirsty mowers and tip back our frosty, cold water bottles in the shade, thankful to be filling up the tank of our relationship with time, meaningful work side-by-side, and leisurely conversation.

It’s true that we’re working hard, and the sun gets hot, and the routine gets monotonous.  I look forward to dates with my true love that involve dress-up clothes, food that doesn’t come from a cooler, and leaving my grass-stained sneakers at home. Even so, I’ve noticed over the years only the slimmest correlation between expense and the enjoyment of an event; how an ice cream cone savored on a warm day with felicitous company is more scrumptious than a meal in a posh restaurant; how the chance symphony caught on the radio has, betimes, surpassed the concert hall.

Summer is short here in Maine, and even as its rich fruition is fleeting, so are our days.  Teach me to number them, Lord, that I may gain a heart of wisdom.  In this, the year of our twenty-fifth anniversary,  I see clearly that a day spent mowing lawns with just the right person fulfills all the qualifications for a perfect date.

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and six adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

34 thoughts on “I Love You Mow-er Every Year!”

  1. I don’t know, but I think summer really is the shortest of all seasons. Sad as it’s actually where people get to enjoy the outdoors the most. 🙂

    It’s really important to be wise enough to number our days. Because we tend to procrastinate a lot as humans.

    Wonderful advice. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  2. MIchele, I loved this post! You are so right – there is something to be said about just being with our men – wordless at times, laughing at silly things & yes! sharing an ice cream. I am glad for the days which are slower & he & I can just enjoy each other. Here’s to summer!!!!

    Liked by 2 people

  3. This is beautiful! My husband and I have only been married two years but we are learning the art of dates that are just “normal.” Our current favorite has been front-porch sitting with our puppy and watching the sun go down! Thanks for this reminder that their can be sweetness in the ordinary, slow moments of marriage.

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  4. Amen. We do need one-on-one time to sustain and build our marriages. My husband and I haven’t always done that, but we’ve purposefully started in the past few years. I haven’t brought myself to ask “How are we doing?” but we use date nights to reconnect, to remember why we got married, to talk about something other being parents.

    My family and I also like working together outdoors, even though we’re usually working on different projects. I’ll be in the garden while my husband and son are tending the lawn, usually. Sometimes they’ll help me, especially with carrying something heavy or finding something in the shed. Always we’ll talk when one walks past another. It’s just all good.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Michelle – this is so beautiful, so rich! My husband and I are working together now – teaching our boys how to work in our business – and it is, indeed, deep and beautiful! Enjoy your short summer and long relationship!!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. 25 years–that is awesome, Michele! Sounds like your relationship is strong. Love this: “We spend moments talking about what we’ve read, because hearing the Truth allows us to listen to the words as they are formed, to notice different details.”

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  7. Beautiful post, Michele! Do I understand right that you and your husband are the main ones running the family mowing business now? Pretty impressive! How wonderful that you’re reading through the Bible out loud together. Wonderful.

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    1. Yes, Betsy. My husband is a teacher, so his “summer job” is mowing lawns, which we started to do about ten years ago with the idea that he could involve our four boys as they each got old enough. Well, the youngest is thirteen now, and he picked up his first customer this summer, so what used to be a crew of six hitting a lawn together is now . . . well, you read the post. It’s great exercise, and very often we have two of our boys with us still. Their dad pays them, but they don’t make as much working for us as they do on their own lawns. They’re learning a lot from this experience.

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  8. You are speaking to my heart here, Michele. My husband and I are moving into this kind of season–one of more time together to sit and reflect. Isn’t this one of the loveliest things of growing together over the years? Thanks for making me pause and give thanks for my marriage today, friend.

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  9. Thank you for this lovely heartfelt sentiment. How encouraging that God has kept you both and your marriage for 25 years! Praise the Lord!!

    Welcome summer filled with warm days to be outside and just BE together. (and maybe eat ice cream!)

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  10. What a beautiful testimony for marriage and relationship. Thank you for sharing. You made me think back to the 50 hours of required driving we had to do when the kids were getting their drivers license. I complained at first when that law was passed that I didn’t have 50 hours to ride along with my teen “just” to give them driving experience BUT soon discovered that one on one time, traveling together in the car was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect and share and grow in love with one another. A time I don’t regret at all now and one I treasure. Coming over from SDG and glad I read your post today. Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Ah, I love those summer memories and the sweet cadence of a marriage of many years. May God continue to draw you to each other over lawn dates and time well spent. Thank you for linking up at #InspireMeMonday!

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  14. Awe, what a sweet time with your hubby! I love those times of reading Go’d Word together. There’s something very special about it. Blessings to you – enjoy your summer!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I love this –
    “How are we doing?
    You’re still my favorite.
    I love you.” Amazing words of blessing!
    I love how even everyday tasks, if seen with the right attitude, can become some of the deepest blessings. My husband and I find that trips to the grocery store together, without the kidlets, can be wonderful times of connecting.
    Blessings friend,
    Kamea

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  16. Michele, I love that you’re filling up your love tank as you fill up those mower gas tanks, so to speak. What precious time spent together and realizing those times in grass-stained clothes are the moments to treasure. Thank you, Michele, for sharing your heart at #IntentionalTuesday on Intentionally Pursuing. : )

    Liked by 1 person

  17. I really enjoyed this, Michele. My parents just celebrated their 59th anniversary last week. This line is exactly what they did: “Even so, I’ve noticed over the years only the slimmest correlation between expense and the enjoyment of an event; how an ice cream cone savored on a warm day with felicitous company is more scrumptious than a meal in a posh restaurant” Thank you for sharing this delightful slice of ordinary days – greatly appreciated.

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  18. So beautifully written and so true. Our marriages deserve regular, devoted, quality time to bring us closer to one another and to Him. Linked up with you at Counting My Blessings — hope you’ll stop by Saved by Grace for a visit!
    God bless,
    Laurie

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  20. Love this! How wonderful that something so routine as mowing the grass can deepen a relationship that was meant to grow over time??? It sounds like you have worked out a perfect rhythm that has become something that the two of you look forward to with each other. Thank you for sharing your words at The Weekend Brew.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Wow, 25 years!! Please continue to teach us your ways:) I love that conversations about God come so naturally to the two of you. My husband and I are in our 11th year together, 8 of them married. There’s definitely a peaceful cadence to fall into but it requires awareness and effort. God is working on us for sure. Our boys are small now and it’s a fun time in our lives. Equally enjoyable will be witnessing the adventures they choose when they’re older!! Lawns…who knew? 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Michelle, each evening Richard and I take a walk together. It’s 2.5 miles of uninterrupted time with each other. It’s therapy. It’s talking about things that might not get communicated in competition with a computer, or a phone, or people. I love this idea of finding love in the simple and appreciating it.

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