Hi PD!

I am really sad today. I don’t know if I did something wrong, but Chad seems very disconnected these days. I mean… he’s still playing with the babies like he used to, but I feel we are growing very distant. Should I talk to Chad? Maybe it’s just his work. He works for the whole family, and maybe it’s just the stress. I hope things improve soon.

Chad flipped to the next page out of curiosity, and a wave of guilt washed over him.

Hi PD…

I…I don’t know what to do! Does Chad want to leave me? He said something I could have never expected he would! He mocked me that I look fat, and he didn’t even give me a chance to explain myself! I feel very self-conscious. Is Chad really falling out of love? I need to talk to him, but I don’t know…Will that be a good idea?

Chad flipped to the next page and the next, and this time, what he read further made him regret even more how he’d been treating Lisa for so long.

Hi PD!

I got this fantastic idea to lose weight! I was trying yoga and mediation before, but Chad thought I didn’t want to lose weight! That’s because he’s too busy to notice my efforts. You wait and see; I will lose weight and surprise Chad on our wedding anniversary. My friend Tina just told me there’s a gym that can help you lose weight in a week! OMG! I’m so excited!

He wiped his tears as he turned to the next page.

Hi there, PD!

Sorry for not writing for a time. I’m terribly exhausted these days! Those gym people call me early in the morning. They gave me supplements, and their diet is just insane! I feel nauseous after eating the raw stuff they prescribed me, and then Chad…ugh…he just doesn’t stop mocking me. I’m seriously tired of all this. I don’t know if I can take all of this any longer….

Chad couldn’t help but feel guilty at this point. Was I so blinded that I didn’t even notice she was trying? And why the hell did you have to mock her, Chad? She’s your wife, the Lisa you loved with all your heart! You need to make it up to her, Chad. You will have to!

And Chad did as he resolved. When he went to see Lisa in the hospital the next day, he surprised her with a bouquet of her favorite flowers and a card that read, “Get well soon, honey! The kids and I miss you! Home doesn’t feel like home with you….”

After receiving the flowers and card, Lisa got a bit emotional as Chad had not done anything special for her in a while. “Thank you, Chad,” she whispered, her eyes welling up. “I – I…”

“You don’t need to say anything, Lisa. I was mean to you and said things I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry! You are beautiful the way you are, and whatever I said about your looks was just nonsense! I am a jerk for saying all of that!” he added, hugging her.

“Oh, Chad… It’s – It’s fine,” she muttered, hugging him back.

“I’ll try to be a better person, Lisa. I promise,” he told her.

When Lisa got discharged and returned home, Chad surprised her with a candlelight dinner date. The whole room was beautifully decorated, and a romantic song was slowly playing in the background. He slid open a chair for her and poured her wine.

Later, he got down on his knees and asked, “So, Mrs. Lisa Thompson, would you like to dance with me?” Lisa nodded, and they kissed passionately as they held each other tightly.

From that day on, Chad had become a different man altogether, and Lisa couldn’t believe how one night changed everything. He helped her in everything, took her out to movies on weekends, and most importantly, he always told her, “I love you for who you are, honey.”

Lisa still goes to the gym, but she is no longer on fad diets to reduce weight quickly. Instead, she is concentrating on getting healthier.

What can we learn from this story?

• Accept people for who they are and not for how they look. Chad started mocking Lisa for gaining weight after birth, forgetting why he fell in love with her in the first place.
• True beauty lies at heart. Lisa was a wonderful mother and wife, but Chad didn’t understand it until he read her personal diary.