A few days ago I received a story in the mail that not only made me laugh; it made me think.

A man came home to find the door to his house wide open. Upon entering his home, he found chaos. The room was scattered with clothes and the furniture was in disarray. In the kitchen, the children were dirty and there were candy and food scraps everywhere. The fridge was open, dishes and containers were overflowing from the dishwasher, and dog food was all over the floor.

In obvious distress and despair, the man went upstairs to the second floor to find his wife in bed, still in pajamas and reading a book. She looked at him, smiled and asked how his day had been. He looked confused and asked, "What happened here today?"

She smiled again and said, "You know those days when you come home from work and ask me what I did all day?"

"Yes," he said incredulously.

She replied, "Well, today I didn't do any of those things."

Interesting isn't it? Personally, I think it's fascinating.

Throughout time many men have considered that homemaking is not equal to work outside the home in a factory or a company; but how wrong they are! They have not taken into account that some women are paid a weekly salary for carrying out these tasks. So the work that women do at home while the husband goes to work really is a job.

Men and women don't only marry because they love each other; they do it to join forces and to complement each other in all aspects of life. For that reason, you shouldn't devalue the work of your companion. The work of your partner can be very humble or very glorious, but without that work you could not have many of the things you have. That little detail sometimes goes unnoticed.

Here are some points that may help you value the existence of your spouse in your home and in your life.

Appreciate the work of your spouse

Realize that every little thing he or she does is done with great dedication and love.

Be thankful for every detail, big or small

Don't wait until something is gone to realize how important it is.

Love your spouse's place in your home

You know that no one else will do what he or she has done for you. He does so precisely because he loves you.

Think about what would happen to you and your children without your spouse in your life or in your home

A couple is a team, and without your spouse you'd have double the burden; not only in housekeeping, but also in raising children, among many other things.

I hope this motivates you to take time every day to show your spouse how much you love and appreciate him or her.

Translated and adapted by Melinda Fox from the original article, Después de leer este artículo te prometo que amarás más a tu pareja.