Saturday, February 16, 2008

The Accomplishments of Man

My Grandmother once told me about how her father was renown for his impeccable lawn. The neighbors constantly rewarded his hard work with glowing compliments and pats on the back. However, she told me, what no one knew is that my Great-grandmother nagged him into it. He didn't perfect his yard because he liked doing it or liked to impress the neighborhood, he did it because she wouldn't get off his back on a Saturday until it was done.

I love this story. I love just thinking about all the marriages in my sphere of acquaintance and the seen and unseen dynamics that make them work. I have the great privilege of know many "happy" healthy marriages that function in completely different ways.

How do we as women get what we want from our husbands? Ideally we both agree on what should happen, but what about when we don't agree?

Negotiation
Subterfuge
Nagging
Begging
Flattery
Favors
How about giving up?
Or just doing it yourself.

The world may never know all the accomplishments of man that were prodded into existence by a loving wife.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

how i love your article!!!! understated and brilliant......much like a wife (sometimes!). i have been fleshing out your idea in a different department: my children have been telling me lately how AWESOME they think their daddy is for doing certain things, but the reasons they give as proof of his "awesomeness" are activities *I* planned for the family! ha ha ha. it's ok in the long run, i suppose! he makes me look good and i make him look good. the world may never know all the sacrificial, beneficial, and beautiful things one spouse (or son or father....) has conned another into!! fantastic thoughts!