Day 15 - Great Expectations

I have very high expectations for myself, my kids, and my husband. Actually I have high expectations for everything in my life. Lately I have been suffering from a dilemma. Often, having high expectations means being disappointed when you or those around you don't meet them. So is it better to keep those expectations or should they be lowered?

I don't think my expectations are unreasonable. Is is unreasonable to expect my kids who are 8 & 11 to clean up after themselves and leave the common areas of the house looking neat? Is it unreasonable to expect my husband to do the dishes without my having to ask? These seem like such small things to expect. Now I know that many of you ladies are thinking that we all want that from our husbands, but they just aren't wired to do it. Really? That's a reason? To be honest, the reason that I expect it is because my husband is really a great guy. He isn't the kind to think the "little woman" should do all the housework, he really does his share. But he doesn't usually do it unless I ask or put it on his to do list, which always makes me feel like a nag.

I expect my husband to be romantic because sometimes he is. Then sometimes he does things like getting me absolutely nothing for our anniversary - not even a card. When he does stuff like that I feel a crushing disappointment because I was expecting something to recognize our special day. So do I lower my expectations in order to avoid disappointment? Should I expect nothing and then be surprised and pleased when he gets me a card?

You see, I'm really struggling with this. Should I lower my expectations and be grateful for what I have, essentially settling for less, or should I keep my expectations high and demand better?

I know this post isn't very joyful. We all have our down days and as I've mentioned before, it's okay. I'll do better tomorrow.