I’m relatively new to the WPW lifestyle but have subconsciously always leaned towards it, just didn’t actively “try” towards it and never really knew there was a word for it.

My husband and I went through it last Fall. I didn’t know if we’d make it out of it but it was the catalyst for big change on both of our parts. I wish it wasn’t such a rollercoaster to get to a better point in our marriage but I’m glad we went through it none the less.

Since starting to incorporate more of the RPW ideals into my life and marriage, I feel like I’ve woken up. I can’t believe all the times my husband reached out to me to be A WIFE and I declined in the past. For example, asking me to rub lotion on his back or give him a back rub. I’d say no because I was tired, busy with something or because I have weird sensory stuff with my hands lol. Last night, he asked again for the first time in a long time. Probably because I’ve been putting him first for the past couple weeks and really trying to make that effort to be outwardly supportive and loving. So I gave him not just a back rub, but a full body massage before bed (he’s a runner so he gets pretty sore). I felt so at peace doing that for him before bed.

I was also always in leggings and a sweatshirt or tshirt. I’ve put in the effort to get dressed each day, do my hair and sometimes a bit of makeup. I’m finding that feminine cute rompers are my favorite because I can chase our 18 month old around, clean and cook and not struggle too much as I would in a dress. I don’t know that he cares too much about what I wear at home, but it makes me feel more confident and receptive of his attention.

He has not had time in the past year to engage in hobbies and admitted several times he feels guilty being in his workshop since we had our son (we have older kids as well, but obviously our 18 month old takes the most effort right now. He’s an agent of chaos.) I made a big gesture a few weeks ago while he was away visiting his very sick grandpa with his dad and cleaned out his entire workshop which had become a storage space for stuff. He had been wanting to do it himself but I knew he felt overwhelmed. I love to clean and organize so I spent a couple nap times doing it. This week I made sure to get all of our laundry done and keep the house clean. I also know that while I said I was okay with him doing his own thing and told him this in the past, he saw me overwhelmed with parenting and housework and stuff (because I was bad at time management, struggling with anxiety, and hadn’t found the joy in it all) and so he didn’t FEEL like I actually wanted him to go do it. I encouraged him to go out a few times and made sure to TRULY encourage him and show him that I had everything done and was relaxed myself and this weekend he finally did it! He was out for a few hours woodworking. I am ecstastic he finally took time outside for himself. He used to love woodworking but life just got the best of us both for a minute and he did nothing for himself to decompress.

Anyways I could go on for hours about how much better things have been in our household with just this little bit of change on my part. It’s actually pretty empowering to know how big of an impact I have on my husband in terms of my actions and attitude. I can’t wait to see where we’re at in a few months with some more effort. I’ve also been listening to a couple podcasts and it really keeps me inspired and focused on what I’m doing.

Anyways appreciate this sub!! I welcome any recommendations for resources on RPW lifestyle. ❤️