By 7:30 p.m., when I returned, the house looked like a war zone. Mark, sitting in the middle of it all, looked like he’d aged ten years. His shirt was stained, his hair was wild, and he had dark circles under his eyes.“So,” I said, setting my purse down, “how was your day off?”Mark didn’t even try to defend himself. “I’m sorry,” he said,
exhausted. “I had no idea. No idea at all.”The next morning, he got up with the kids, made breakfast, and even started a load of laundry before heading to work. He never again questioned my job, and every time someone joked about me “not working,” Mark would shut them down quickly.”Trust me,” he’d say. “She works harder than anyone I know.”And in case you’re wondering, yes, I booked another “day off” for myself—but this time, Mark suggested we make it a family day with some hired help.Turns out, sometimes the best lessons are the ones you don’t have to teach with words.