TRUE LOVE DOESN'T COME EASY

The first thing that crossed my mind after graduating from medical school was to get married to my longtime boyfriend, Carl Eghan.
There was no way I could give up on him for another man since he was very supportive during medical school days and that made me care more for him.
Each time I asked him why he loved me so much he'll simply reply.
" I don't really know why dear, it's natural "

But somehow I felt there should be a reason at least.

I was posted to one of the best government hospitals in the country to work after my housemanship and within a short while, I won the admiration of all the staff and management of the hospital because I devoted much time to care for patients who were entrusted in my care.
At a point in time,  some patients refused to be attended to by any doctor apart from me and
I must confess that it was a difficult task but through prayers and  patience, I was able to go through the challenge. Sometimes Carl had to wait for hours at the hospital for me to finish with my patients before he drove me home. Never for once did he complain about it even though I expected it from him.
On one sunny morning, he paid me a surprise visit at home and proposed marriage which I  gladly accepted.
Our wedding ceremony was one that almost every woman will want on her big day.

Two years down the lane and we were blessed with a beautiful daughter.

My husband's attitude changed after our child was born , he got home late from work often , and wouldn't kiss me on the forehead as he used to. I had to beg for his attention which was unusual of him ever since we met.
"Where did I go wrong?, did I do or say something bad to him that made him change so much?" I asked myself so many questions without answers but I kept praying.

One day, I was reflecting on the things that made me happy in the past and I realised that caring for my patients and working hard at the hospital made me happy.  So I gathered a lot of courage and began to do those things again since I paid little attention to it after I got married because I thought my family was all that I needed more than work. I began to focus on strategies that helped me carter for my home as well as combine with my work as a doctor and as the days went by I saw great change. My happiness was back and I stopped paying attention to little things that made me nag and expected so much attention from my husband even during his working hours.

One evening , my husband got home earlier than his usual closing time and kissed me on the forehead the moment he entered our room.
(One could read the shock that was written on my face)

Carl: "honey please let me do the cooking today and please take rest".
 
It was like a dream but I insisted on doing the cooking myself. As I was about to leave for the kitchen, he held my hands and pulled me closer to him.

Me: "You've been ignoring me for God knows how many months now, you come home one day and pretend nothing happened?."
( I became offensive instead of being happy about my husbands change of  behavior and before I could say another word, he silenced me with a deep kiss).

Carl: I wasn't ignoring you dear, I became afraid....
Me: Afraid of what?...
Carl: please allow me to end...I was afraid because you changed after we got married and always depending on me for so much attention which was unusual of you when we were dating. Moreover you stopped being active with work and doing the things that I used to admire about you, the things that made me fall in love with you for eg. Puting smiles on your patients faces, not the nagging type etc but I just didn't know how to communicate your actions so you don't get offended but now that you have started to put in those efforts, I've began to admire you more especially the humanitarian services you do as a medical doctor.
Me: wow, so you are now telling me after all these years that I won your heart by the way I worked hard as a medical doctor?.....
At that moment I got angry and left the room but after some time, I began to ponder over what he said.
" Does this mean that people fall in love with what we do?...so many questions ran through my mind but somehow I began to feel happy that I won my husband back.

We sorted out our differences and since then we both put in much efforts to make sure that the home was intact while we combined it with our professional duties at work.

In all, I learnt that getting married does not stop one from pursuing their dream if only one is able to blend it with taking good care of the home.

I waited for many years to understand why my husband loves me so much and it was worth knowing, even though not the way I wanted but I appreciate the fact that his admiration for me isn't so much of my good looks as a young lady but because he's happy knowing I care for  people who aren't family as part of my work as a medical doctor.

In our quest for love, are we willing to work hard to sustain what brought about the attraction or we'll simply relax and not work hard to make that attraction stay forever?........Is true love a pursuing task or one that needs no efforts the moment one gets ring on the finger?.

End.