The Simple Life at Home

We are more than half-way through our series on respecting our husbands. Hang in there - we'll be through before you know it!

Today we will return to the letter "e." There are two more words that begin with e that I'd like to look at for the purposes of respecting our men.

1) Eliminate - You know what it is. I don't, but you do. You know that there is something that you do that bugs the heck out of him. Maybe it's a look you give him or a skirt you wear that he hates. Maybe it's a tone of voice you use or a television show you watch.

Remembering that our husbands are the ones we are married to, they are the ones that we are supposed to be pleasing. If we are looking to please anyone else, we are making a mistake. Maybe we want to wear something fashionable, but which our husband doesn't like. Or we want to wear our hair in the latest style, but he prefers your hair long. Maybe you want to show how smart you are in front of your friends by correcting him in public.

HE is the one whose pleasure we should be seeking. Friends and fashions will come and go, but you and your husband are supposed to be together for the rest of your lives. Do you really want to build resentment in him because you wanted to please others?

2) Enrich - There are two facets to this - enriching both yourself and your husband's life. They are somewhat intertwined, but you have to work on them separately.

First, yourself. You need to keep growing and learning. You need to have something interesting to talk to your husband about. We've all sat there with our husbands and had nothing to say. While at times that can be comforting, it's often uncomfortable. Keep your life fresh by challenging yourself to grow. Come up with a 101 in 1001 list. Take a course in something you are interested in. Read something that you can share with your husband, along the lines of an interest of his. Be willing to try new things.

Second, enrich your husband's life. Well, really, your family's life. Keep the home beautiful for them. Make it a place of rest and haven for them. Do what you can to make your husband's life better. Help him out. If he can never find his keys, designate a special place for them and when you see them laying around, put them in the right place. If he wants to spend a reasonable amount of time hanging out with his friends, encourage it. If he wants something, and you can afford it, don't give him a hard time about it.

Enrich your lives together and bring joy to your whole family.