Next to You

by Hannah Bonam-Young

“He tends to…” I choose my next words carefully. “He tends to prioritise the other people in his life above himself.” “He’ll probably always be that way, like his mother. She’d give you the coat off her back before you even asked.” He crosses his arms. “Matt tell you about how we met?” “Yeah.” I nod, smiling. “Ever since that day, she’s been reminding me to slow down, give more, be kinder, all the while building me up, and I need that, of course—we all do. But what she and Matt both need is someone who’s willing to do the same. Natural caregivers like that, they burn out. They give and give until they’re emptied and have nothing left for themselves.” “How do you… how do you do that?” “She doesn’t make it easy, hence the reason we have nine children.” He laughs. “But it’s the little things. I tell her everyday how grateful I am for her. I do my fair share, I make her rest, I remind her that her worth isn’t what she’s giving away—but who she is.”