When My Husband is Away …

Last week, my husband went back to China again to visit his mother—you might remember I started another article with this same sentence before. Yes, he’s been making these trips quite often in recent years.

But I don’t mind. In fact, I even look forward to it.

Don’t get me wrong—it’s not that I’m tired of him. Well, maybe…sometimes. 🙂

It’s more about embracing a different lifestyle for a while—enjoying the freedom and ease of being on your own. Plus, there might be some unexpected opportunities for self-growth. You know what I mean if you’ve read A DIY Journey – Giving Myself a Chance I posted before.

Cleaning mode: activated!

After I returned from the airport, I started cleaning the house—right away!

It had been a while since the last time it was thoroughly cleaned, and things had piled up.

Of course, I had my reasons:

First, I’d been very busy with work lately.

Second, I was kind of waiting for the right moment. The truth is, I feel like my husband is usually the one who contributes most to the mess—not much less than Sparky, our beloved dog, who sheds like crazy.

With these two, sometimes I feel it’s wiser to just live with it rather than work diligently, only to find everything messed up again shortly after.

To be fair, my husband does clean when he’s in the mood—and when he does, he can do a really good job! I’m often amazed by how beautifully he can tidy up the house, as well as how quickly he can mess it up again.

He had planned to do some cleaning before his departure but got caught up with work. I had thought how nice it would be if he actually did it—at least this time, he wouldn’t have a chance to undo his own good work before leaving.

Anyway, to make sure my experience is pleasant, a clean environment is essential I guess.

Once started, I couldn’t stop. That’s just me! One spot after another, I kept finding new areas to clean and even ventured into some of my husband’s domains—places I did not usually touch before. I surely don’t mind letting him claim more territory when it comes to cleaning. 🙂

I was exhausted when I finally sat down to enjoy my meal, but I felt good. All the hard work was truly worth it! Living in a clean and tidy space made me feel like I was really living!

A midnight scare

It was almost midnight when I was finally done. Just as I was about to wash up and go to bed, Sparky suddenly started barking.

I tensed up—he only barks when someone is approaching the house. But at this hour?

Gathering my courage, I went downstairs.

As I pressed my face against the glass door and looked out, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

I saw two legs! A dark figure was crouching and peeking inside!

Just as I was about to faint from fear, I suddenly realized…

It was actually my own reflection in the glass door!

Still, it took me a few minutes to calm down.

To my relief, Sparky didn’t bark again.

Moments like this remind me of the value of companionship. Living independently does take courage — in all aspects! A person timid by nature, like me, does need a husband! 🙂

Despite the incident, I slept soundly that night—perhaps an unexpected bonus from all the hard work earlier.

The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed and at peace. Sunlight streamed through the window—what a beautiful day! I cheered up again!

At this stage in life, I’ve come to understand that everything is a trade-off. Every gain comes with a loss, and vice versa. The key is to cherish what we have while we have it—to live in the moment and embrace the experiences life offers us.

Running with Sparky

One of my major duties when my husband is away is taking care of our dog, Sparky. The poor fellow looked a bit lost without his master. I get it—he was probably missing the fun of exploring in the woods. But that’s not something I dare to do.

Still, I was determined to keep him in shape. I walked him twice a day—or to be more accurate, I ran him twice a day. Since I have a habit of running, I decided to run with Sparky. Lately, I had heard about the benefits of interval running, so I incorporated it into our outings.

To my surprise, whenever I speed up during the acceleration phase, Sparky lags behind. I couldn’t help but wonder—was he just being lazy, or was he getting old?

But later, I realized it was neither.

I suppose, unlike humans, dogs don’t have the awareness that exercise keeps them healthy. They run only when something triggers them—like chasing food or a ball. Most of the time, they prefer to slow down, sniff around, and explore the mysterious world around them.

Something else about Sparky opened my eyes, too. Every time we approached a particular house along the trail, he would start grunting and pulling forward so hard that I had to use all my strength to keep my grip on the leash. Another dog lived there, in the backyard. Whenever we passed by, the two would yell and jump at each other like lifelong enemies—though I had no idea how they became that way.

In those moments, gentle, laid-back Sparky disappeared—he became so fierce and determined, as if he refused to let the other dog intimidate him!

Sparky isn’t old!

While I always feel Sparky is lucky to have a master—my husband, who loves to explore the world with him—I can’t help but think about how much a dog’s life depends on its owner. They don’t have the freedom to make their own choices, even though they are naturally curious and dynamic. They live passively, entirely subject to their owner’s decisions. That’s the most unfortunate—and saddest—part of being a dog.

Humans, on the other hand, are fortunate in this regard. We have the ability to make choices and shape our own lives. Yet too often, we take this gift for granted, letting life carry us along without taking the initiative to truly live to the fullest. Isn’t that a shame?