A defining moment

Last night I kinda lost it. Actually, I really lost it.

I flipped out over a power strip.

A power strip? Yep. Not one of my proudest moments.

I was tired. Our new home is a mess. We can't find anything and we had three things to plug into an outlet in the bedroom and I was angry at my husband for not finding the power strip in the midst of our boxes and bags.

I was so angry that I stormed out of our bedroom, taking an afghan with me, and plopped down on the couch. I did not want to sleep with my husband so I was sleeping on the couch.

Now for some of you, this might not be a big deal. But for me it was huge.

Not once in seven years of marriage have either my husband nor I ever slept on the couch due to an argument. Not once.

So as I threw myself down on my love seat (at 5 feet, 9 inches tall what was I thinking????), and laid there I began to think about what issue could be so big that it would cause me an uncomfortable and restless night's sleep on the couch. Was it really worth it?

And I realized the issue really wasn't about the power strip. It was more about what I perceived as a careless attitude.

I was still angry, but I knew that if I chose to stay on the couch it would be a defining moment for our marriage. And it would not be a defining moment that I would be proud of. I would wake up tired, achy and probably angry at my husband for 'making me sleep on the couch.'

So I got up, grabbed my afghan and crawled back into bed.

The best part of all? My husband didn't even realize I had intended to sleep on the couch. He just thought I had left the room.

When the next defining moment comes your way, may you choose your response purposefully and wisely.