Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Let Me Tell You Why I'm Mad





















This image has been tossed around via email for years now. I have gotten it forwarded to me at least four times. Each time I am more and more embittered. What bothers me is that there was a time where these things were expected of a wife. And today, there are men that are holding onto this ideal. The idea of a "traditional woman" is not forgotten. Whether it's 1954 or 2008... either way this is ri-DAMN-diculous!

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift. Translation: AFTER I cook dinner but BEFORE he walks in the door I am to get prettied up because though I have been slaving for upwards of 10 hours, I must not let him see me that way?

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the home just before your husband arrives, gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Make sure the rugrats look presentable. They are a reflection of you. If he comes home and the house isn't tidy, dinner is not made, AND the kids are filthy it doesn't say much about what you've done with your day.

Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home.

Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind. Translation: Essentially I should shut up and listen to him bitch. My woes are minimal compared to his.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first. Yes girl, do not get it twisted...your problems, ideas, and/or thoughts are nowhere near as monumental.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax. So what if all you do everything...that does not entitle you to be treated! What you want a cookie?

The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

No! The goal is to lead your life in a way that is fitting of pleasing yourself! You take care of you first and foremost because a healthy happy significant other is far more priceless than a maid.

1 comment:

Ms. S said...

Oh hell no. See. This is exactly why I do not have a man right now, LOL. I'll be damned if he expected me to do all of that!