A woman has sparked a debate on social media after revealing the three-word note her husband left next to a sink full of dirty dishes.
Susan Lehman, who goes by the handle @susandoingsusanthings on TikTok, was fuming when she woke up in the morning and saw a sink full of unclean dishes.
The mother-of-two from Washington explained that the stack of dirty tableware is because the night before, her husband Matt invited friends over to watch a sports game.
Her initial reaction was anger (I mean, who wouldn't be?), but that subsided when she saw a note placed neatly on the counter.
Watch Susan's TikTok below:
The note, with an arrow pointing at the dirty dishes, simply read: "I got it!"
The 43-year-old's voice softened as she said: "What a good guy. I just love that he acknowledges that he left a mess in the sink, and don’t worry, he’ll take responsibility for it. We’ve come so far."
Susan's clip amassed a staggering 3.5 million views and 509K likes on the social media platform, with many viewers sharing their mixed opinions on the husband's gesture.
Some people agreed that this small shift made a world of difference, as one user wrote: "The note changes everything! Amazing communication," while another echoed a similar sentiment: "It's not about the fact he's going to do it eventually. It's about him letting her know through healthy communication in order to make her feel relieved."
A third shared: "Idc (I don't care) what the other comments say this is so healthy. Accountability & acknowledgment mean so much more [than] ppl give it credit for!"
A fourth added: "The simplest acts of kindness, communication can mean everything. Love that he did that and love that you acknowledged his act of love. Kudos to you both!"
Despite the hefty dose of positive feedback, many disgruntled users were left frustrated and argued that expectations were still far too low if this simple act was being applauded.
"The bar is on the floor," one disappointed viewer wrote, while a second remarked: "Bare minimum." Someone else commented: "I’m with 'the bar is in hell' ladies haha."
Someone else said: "Bar is on the floor. Wow man child cleaned up his own mess. Everyone clap," to which Susan clapped back: "This video was about communication. Newfound negativity. Speaks volumes for your future relationships."
The TikToker, who is a hairstylist, and her husband, who works as a commercial loan officer, have been together for more than 25 years and share two teenage sons.
She revealed to Today that her partner wasn't always a "note-leaving" guy, sharing: "After we got married, we definitely fell into these very cliche roles, where I did the cleaning and he did the man things, and for a long time that arrangement worked. And then one day I was like, 'You know what? Other people can help me in this house.'"
Susan said that the couple needed to "change" which led to several "difficult" conversations. Afterward, Matt began making dinner for the family and even does laundry without being asked.
In case you're wondering, yes, Matt also cleaned the dirty dishes!
"Matt and I are high school sweethearts but it feels like a new relationship," she said. "The old me would have freaked out over the dishes and I would have probably woken him up - but the old Matt wouldn’t have left a note, either."
The mom spoke about the negative comments under her viral video and expressed that some users "missed the point entirely," adding: "That bare minimum note was the max for me.
"Our communication is better than it’s ever been and I’m proud of how far we’ve come. Everybody - our sons included - pitches in now. I can't tell you how much our lives have changed," she concluded.
