Digital creator joyyunspeakable woke up to a sight that would send anyone into an utter tailspin.
Her husband of eleven years had left her a note. On the envelope, a cryptic and heart-pounding message:
“To my wife.”
Inside the envelope, a letter read: “Let me start this off by saying that I Love You dearly. You mean the world to me. However…”
You don’t need to be a marriage counselor to know that’s not good news.
She feared the worst.
Joyyunspeakable shared a photo of the letter on social media with the caption, “Ladies … choose yourself. I woke up to this nonsense after almost 11 years of marriage.”
If you click the image and read closely, however, you’ll find that the husband’s letter isn’t at all what it seems! It reads:
“Dear wife,
“Let me start this off by saying that I Love You dearly. You mean the world to me. However i owe it to myself as well as you to be completely honest with you. I have to come forward with my truth. I hate to do it this way but it’s now or never because what I’m about to say has to be said.”
The husband’s ‘truth’? He wanted to watch the basketball game that night without being bothered.
The husband, Fred, was extremely clear that he would be watching the New York Knicks kick off their NBA season that evening, and he would not be engaging in any outside activities during that time.
“No I will not watch our shows with you,” he wrote. “No i will not get you something sweet. I will not take the dog out. … I will sit on my couch, drink in hand and I will watch the game.”
My personal favorite part is the P.S. at the end.
“The child may stay up past bedtime only if he watches the game with me. If he doesn’t want to watch then off to bed with him. Thanks”
Everyone has needs in a marriage, including the need for alone time! Learning to communicate those needs in a healthy way isn’t always easy
This ‘Fred’ sounds like a stand up dude.
He’s firmly stated his need to watch the game, alone, without being interrupted. And he’s done it in a funny way that reduces conflict and makes his wife laugh.
(He also encourages discussion by inviting his wife to contact him with any questions.)
Having alone time in a marriage or partnership is crucial, and can strengthen your connection with your partner! So it’s easy to see this as just another “man wants to watch sports,” story when really it’s a “committed husband and father wants to fill his own cup” story.
Telling your partner that you want to be alone without hurting their feelings isn’t always easy. Fred has managed to do it in a hilarious and effective way.
The story and photos quickly went viral across all social media platforms, drawing responses from Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Sports, and DraftKings, to name just a few.
Almost unanimously, everyone agreed the prank was hysterical.
One user did chime in, though: “This is funny, but what is it with men and sports that makes them get like this? I don’t understand, it’s weird.”
Joyyunspeakable simply said: “He forgets I exist and I love it because I like my alone time [too]”
Win win!
