Tell me something you really love or admire about your partner...

[perplexedandbemused]

Genuinely. Partners can get a lot of slack on mn, let's have a thread dedicated to some of the good bits?

I'll go first.

He's kind, and naturally assumes kindness in others. Not in an effortful way, it's innately who he is. I come from a very sarcastic family, and the sarcasm is sadly all too often meant belittlingly. But DH just lets it all slide off him. If I'm having an off day and haven't been kind, he accepts my apology with such grace and says things like 'I didn't take it personally, I know that's not who you are underneath', or words like that.

Being with him has helped me to become, and to continue to strive to be a calmer, kinder version of myself, and I admire and love him for it.

When we started dating, and even now, although less intensely, I couldn’t see my future. I had no real aspiration to love life, I was just muddling through. He has made me look forward to my future with him, however scary it is to think about (I’m a chronic overthinker), he makes me imagine summer days in our future house with our future children. He gives me something to live for. He’s been through a lot of hard times with me, and always made me feel totally safe. My parents love him. He’s very gentle. He is genuinely beautiful, not like some people say because they’re blinded by love, he is objectively stunning. I love his hair and his lips and how tall he is and how his big blue eyes have yellow around the pupil and when they catch the sun just right I could stare at them for hours. His upbringing has been, truthfully, shit yet he doesn’t let it change him. We have matured from stupid, immature teens to still sometimes stupid, but much more mature young adults together. Life is just better with him, he gives me genuine happiness which hasn’t been a common thing in my life.

He'd been doing loads of overtime that's barely paid (2 hours home late every night - occasional Saturdays etc). I didn't question it, just figured he was busy.

He's now taken annual leave before our baby is born, and has more than 3 months paternity leave on the other side so he can look after our daughter and let me get out of the house alone in those first few months to do anything I like not baby related (he knows I love to do things like running marathons and meditate by the beach).

He'd been putting the hours in to sort everything as we've no family nearby and he didn't want me to do the first few months alone, it's a wonderful surprise. Financially we're better off while he's not working too, he really planned everything!!

The bar is too often very low ("good dad", "good provider", "never been violent") but my partner is genuinely a good man. He's had his faults over the years but has grown and learned as have I. This is 30 years' worth -

Conscientious, personally ambitious, and hard working
Does his fair share of housework and parenting
Calls out shitty behaviour by other men
Intensely loyal to his immediate and extended family
Makes me laugh all the time and finds my sense of humour funny
Not at all interested in watching or playing sports - prefers reading or spending time with me and the kids
Has always believed more in my intelligence and abilities than I do myself (encouraged and supported me to go back to uni in my 40s and pursue the dream career I'm in now)
Good moral compass (better than mine)

Utterly reliable. If he says he'll do something, he does it. If he tells me something, he means it.
Assumed from the start an equal share of money and an equal share of chores / downtime.
Encourages my hobbies.
Has his own interests - things he's passionate about. But puts family and home first.
Loves to chat about current affairs / something he's learned that day (same as me)
Makes me laugh. Thinks I'm hilarious.
Will run to help our adult DC if needed, included my DCs who are his step children.
So proud of all the DCs.
Tells me he loves me / I'm gorgeous / I'm wise / he's lucky to have me regularly.
Lovely to my elderly parents and family. WIll help anyone.
Loyal, honest, solid.

Despite being unwell himself at the minute, I'm 30 weeks pregnant and he insists on cooking, housework, rubbing my feet and running me a bath and helping me in and out of it.

There's a million more things I could I say but he's really just a very sweet, beyond lovely man who can always make me laugh (gorgeous too)

Hes so methodical and calm, great at his job, always a team player in our marriage, and I fancy him as much as I did 20 years ago.

His relationship with our kids. They are his life.
Every single thing he does is for and around our kids with no compromise.

He is a doer, just gets on with stuff.

A calm and intelligent fella, every one loves him.

His endless patience 🥰

Snap!

Also really makes me laugh a lot. Totally has my back.
My best mate.
Feel lucky but we worked very hard for it too.

Every morning, he gets up to feeds cats, empty dishwasher, make the lunches and always makes me a cup of coffee before I'm even awake because he wants me to have a nice start to the day. I've never heard him grumble about having to go to work or do something for our family in 18 years. He would always put himself last if I didn't tell him it's ok to do things for yourself sometimes. He's funny, thoughtful and generous. I'd be lost without him.

He's a fantastic dad and grandad.

He's calm, thoughtful, completely dependable and very funny. He's actually quite quiet and introverted which I never thought I would seek in a partner (I'm the complete opposite!) but it works so well and I love him so much for it. He makes me feel at peace. He also behaves like a complete gentleman (to me, our families and everyone in general), is a great cook and amazing in bed! There's so much more but I feel like a sap typing it all out! But I know how lucky I am to have found him 😊

He's a proper adult, can take care of himself physically and emotionally and I can rely on him for support if I need it. He had a brain tumour a few years ago and the recovery was gruelling, and it could really have taken an emotional toll on us both. Everyone gave me loads of sympathy for having to look after him but in reality he was really no bother and his calm demeanour got us both through it.

@Legdaysucks I've never heard him grumble about having to go to work.

Yes I will add this on to my list too! It seems so simple but the amount of posts I read on here and know of people irl whose husbands moan about doing anything at all. My DP just gets on with what needs doing and enjoys life. Nothing is a big deal to him at all. He never complains about running round before / after work doing drop-offs / pick-ups, he ALWAYS comes in and makes a start on dinner no matter how long / hard his day has been but then always makes time for a cuddle on the sofa and a chat no matter how busy / shattered we are!

This is absolutely lovely and made me tear up a bit! Bless him. All of these posts have made me feel so happy for random strangers and also made me appreciate my DP so much (I already do every day but typing it out does make you realise how you lucky you are!)

He sees the positive in everything including me. He's such a generous and happy person. He always puts others first. He's genuinely dedicated to his work (health care) and just always gives everything his all.

He doesn't change for anyone - he is him.

He also puts his children above anything else

He does sweet thoughtful little things - if I stay over he will make sure I have lunch for work even if it means I have all the bread. Not for me to gush and thank him but just because he's kind

And he also gives me butterflies even after 2 years and no one has ever done that

He makes an effort to take pressure off me with DD even when he's been working all day. He takes her out so I can have some peace and quiet at home for a few hours every few weekends.
He's patient, I have been testing at times and he's stuck by me through it all and still wants to marry me!
He works really hard and is always trying to better himself.
He's thoughtful, good at communication, makes me laugh until I cry, he's tidy, a fantastic cook - he's just the best!

Lovely thread.

Like many others have said about their partners, mine is infinitely reliable. He says he will do something and he will do it. He is stupidly funny, clever and has an unshakeable integrity about him. He's a great cook and enjoys it too, so I'm treated to delicious meals all the time. We just have such a laugh together - even at stupid times, like just before one of us leaves for work, we can be falling about laughing about something silly. I'm so excited to see him as a dad when we (hopefully) start a family together.

He's very funny. 30 years and he still makes me laugh almost every day, sometimes so hard I can't breathe. Then he stands there looking really cute and surprised but pleased that he's had that effect.
He is a great, hands on, loving dad who would do anything for our Dc, even now they are adults.
He is kind to animals. All animals, including garden snails.
He removes spiders from the house kindly while I shriek in terror.
He's a good cook.
He finds me attractive. When I put on weight he said he now found that sexy. When I got muscly from weight training, he found that sexy too.
We have loads in common. Now DC have left home we go out on weeknights on the kind of dates we had before they were born.
He's calm. I come from quite an over-emotional family and DH is like a big calm bear in the midst of all the unnecessary storms.

I love listening to my talented hubby play guitar or piano in the evenings 😊

I had one like this too @sparklegreen . All I can say is yes, there are many, MANY better ones out there. Do not feel like you have to settle!

My husband is still great looking and that's after 40 years of looking at him. He is incredibly intellectual and hardworking. He always put me and the kids first. He never tries to control me. He's never been smutty or intentionally sexist ever (he has accidentally but he is willing to learn) He has strong morals and would never do anything dishonest. He thinks I'm amazing and really respects me even though I'm so different to him.

I've a list of his bad points too if you want 😅

He's kind, reliable, understanding and always puts our family first.

He also makes me laugh constantly and is incredibly sexy. Everyday I think about how blessed I am to be married to him.