Eight years ago, I learnt a life-changing skill: ironing.

Being a single child, I was pretty spoilt at home. Before marrying hubby, I never ironed a single garment. Then, it was five to seven shirts a week! I can still remember the very first time I tried my hand at ironing. I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know which part of the shirt to start with. The whole process seemed so complicated that before I even started ironing, I began to complain: “This is so hard!” “It’s so boring!” “Oh I wish he ironed his own shirts?” “And why does he wear so many shirts anyway?!” It’s amazing how difficult a task can become when an initial act of love is replaced by a complaining spirit.As I stood there, feeling as frustrated as the creased and lifeless shirt lying on the ironing board, suddenly, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing” from Paul’s letter to the Philipians popped into my head, and I was immediately convicted of my grumbling spirit. Why do anything kicking and screaming? It’s all in vain if I do it whilst grumbling and complaining. So, I repented, and asked God for help, to help me do a menial task with meaning and mastery, and a cheerful heart. Right there and then, I remembered who I am doing the ironing for- my awesome (and time-poor) husband! Turns out, everything gets a bit easier and more enjoyable when we do it with love!Ironing teaches us another valuable life lesson. The heat and the pressure from the iron are like trials in life. We may not like them when they’re applied to us or when we are going through the harsh treatment. But afterwards, we become more polished, more beautiful, and have more character, like the freshly-ironed shirts!Nowadays, I quite enjoy ironing, it’s quite therapeutic. Plus, it’s one of the smallest yet practical ways for me to demonstrate my love for my husband, and his shirts!Dolce & Gabbana Shades // Hubby’s Herringbone Shirt (worn 2 different ways) // Fletcher Jones Pants // Vintage Earrings & Clutch // Michael Kors Shoes

Photos by Karen Woo