This week I found myself incredibly busy, trying to get ready for my daughter’s high school graduation while still carving out time to do the endless business of an editor for a publishing house. My husband happened to be home that day so he did his best to help me out with the household chores.

The next day, I opened the cupboard where we store our plates, bowls, and cups. The items were all on the right shelf, but not in the right order. I never store the glass items ahead of the plastic ones because my youngest son who is fourteen always seems to be in a hurry, and has broken more plates, bowls, and glass cups than I care to count. To alleviate the issue I’d been putting all glass and breakable items in the back for years. Had my husband never noticed this before?

Not long after this, my youngest son came into my room, unable to find leggings to put under his shorts for football practice. I sighed and went to his room, knowing I had thrown them into the wash the day before. I finally found them, but not in the draw I always put them in. Had my husband never notice that his leggings were stored with his underwear and not with his shorts?

This kind of stuff went on for the rest of the day, little things, here and there, out of their normal place. Even my own clothes hadn’t been separated like usual in my drawers, and I had to go searching for them. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m super grateful for the help my husband gave me that day. But what I found interesting is that even after all these years he didn’t innately know where everything went. I mean, after all, he’s lived here as long as I have. I know the ins and outs of every child’s room, even the shared spaces like the kitchen and living room. I even take care to pay attention to things like if the cereal in the canisters are getting low. Maybe my family just thinks they’re self refilling, because they are never empty though I don’t eat it.

My husband does all kinds of things well, but I guess being a mother means I pay attention to so much more when it comes to running this house.