Recently, I have heard an interesting story that involved a neighbor and his wife. Joe and Annette were watching the last contestant on “America’s Got Talent.” Before the contestant’s magic tricks were over, Annette, without warning, stood up from here cozy recliner and said, “I’m going to bed.”
She paused in the kitchen to wash some left over dishes in the sink. Then, she realized she needed to fix some sandwiches for her children’s school lunch. She then took out the dog and the trash at the same time to kill two birds with the same stone. Then, she came back in trying to coax the dog to come back in from playtime. She almost tripped over his stuffed play toy on the way back. She glanced at the kitchen floor, realizing that the kids hadn’t taken off their muddy shoes at the door and now her kitchen really needed going over with a mop.
She grabbed a bucket a and mop from the pantry and added luke-warm water from the kitchen sink along with some lemon cleaning product to her mop bucket and went to work. When she had finished mopping the floor, she went into her bedroom and sat in a chair reading her daily Bible scriptures and, later, bowing her head in prayer. Her husband stratched his slender arms over his head, yawned and reached for his can of beer, taking the last swallow. He turned off the T.V. and “did” go to bed.
When I heard this story, I knew, with few exceptions, that every couple in America had experienced what Joe and Annette had as a daily experience because a woman’s work is never done.
When did everyone take for granted that a man is head of the house? Fellas, who really does wear the pants in your family? What is the verdict behind closed doors when the actual truth is revealed?
My parents’ marriage was a strong partnership. If us kids wanted to go somewhere or do anything, we always asked Daddy first. Then, Daddy said, “Ask your Momma and if it’s alright with her, then, you can go.”
Daddy approved of Momma managing the money and household bills because he realized she was better at it and it took a lot of unneeded pressure from him. Daddy lived by the old adage, “If Mama ain’t happy, then, nobody is.”
She took the lead and happily our family followed. But, every family is different. If a partnership is not feasible, then the dominant person should lead the way with most of the critical decisions.
A very fine Christian lady once told me that when her husband had died, she was utterly lost. She had absolutely no idea where to pay her bills, taxes, insurance, etc., or anything else. They were both strong advocates of Bible truth, giving the husband complete control and head of household over the wife. She now realized that life must go on and thought that a duel partnership would now have served them better, without relinquishing his rights as head of household.
