There are so many marriage books available, with more being published every day. There are workshops and weekend retreats, tapes and CD's and classes to download. But with all this information, marriage boils down to one simple idea: giving.
Marriage is about giving, in all its incarnations. It sounds like such a simple statement. In fact it is. But it demands serious work and thought. And digging deep within ourselves for the requisite strength and willpower.
Both men and women have to be focused on giving to create a successful marriage. As Jewish scholars frequently cite, marriage is not 50/50, it's 100/100.
This piece will highlight some of the myriad ways in which women can give to enhance their marriages. (Don't get frustrated yet; you can relax and just absorb the information – there will be a counterpart for men!)
1. Clothing: If we dress up for our girlfriends and put on old schlumpy clothes at home, we appear to be making a statement about our priorities, and how distorted they are. It is a kindness to our husbands to dress attractively for them. This may include wearing the styles and colors they appreciate as opposed to the ones we favor. (I'm still working on this one -- trying to reconcile my love of fuchsia and turquoise with my husband's preference for pastels)
2. Paying attention: Everyone wants to be listened to -- and heard. At the end of a long day, either at work or with the kids, you may not feel like listening to your husband. Do it anyway. It is a kindness to him -- and you may be surprised by what you learn.
3. Being interested: Paying attention is good, being sincerely interested is even better. If it interests your husband, it should interest you. While you may have separate hobbies, still be curious about what your husband does. Let him tell you the (boring) details of his golf game or share the (exciting) description of the winning touchdown (I'm letting my preferences show!). The same is true with respect to his job. He's spending so many hours at the office: don't you want to know what he's doing?
4. Stay awake: In order to accomplish #2 and #3, you may have to stay awake past your desired bedtime. Especially when your children are young. While this may not be easy, if you go to sleep early every night, chances are you and your husband will not be spending quality time together. If your husband needs to go out in the evenings -- to learn, to work, to a charitable function, it is meaningful to him to come home and find you waiting up. It says "I care." It makes a house a home.
5. Cooking dinner: In today's world, if you suggest that women should dress nicely and cook delicious meals, you risk the label of Stepford wife. But there's nothing robotic about giving, about being considerate and thoughtful. While it may not always be possible, men like a home-cooked meal. They prefer it to the fanciest restaurant. It doesn't have to be gourmet (although for some tips, you can check out my new website: www.gourmetkoshercooking.com), it just has to be made by you. And you need to take into account his likes and dislikes.
6. Be sensitive to his needs: If your husband likes to stay in at the end of a long day (they all seem to be long days!), try not to fill your evenings with social obligations and cultural events. If he likes to go out, hire a babysitter and try to be accommodating. With giving and goodwill, you can usually reach a satisfactory compromise.
7. Express your affection in words: Yes, even big tough men need to know they are loved. Actions are not enough ("For 25 years, I've washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house..."); tell them.
8. Show your admiration: Even more than our love, our husbands want our respect. Don't hesitate to tell him how proud you are of the way he handles certain tough situations or people, of the work he does, of the kind of parent he is. This kind of giving is absolutely crucial to our husband's sense of well-being. It is so easy to do and yet we do it so rarely.
9. Encourage him to share his dreams and help make them come true. Set some time aside to talk about his deeper goals. How's he doing? Does he need your support to move forward? Part of giving in a truly meaningful way is to help your husband make his dreams a reality.
10. Assist him with tasks he doesn't enjoy: Many men (my husband included) hate to shop. The whole experience may make them cringe. But even in this age of ecommerce, there are still some items that need to be purchased in person, clothing that he must try on. So when my husband's suit gets that shiny look, even though I don't enjoy shopping either, I go along -- to make the experience more pleasant (and to make sure he chooses something that actually fits!). Everyone has certain household chores they don't particularly enjoy. If you can take some of those off your husband's plate, he'll probably respond in kind. Even if that isn't your motivation.
11. Be an "ezer k'negdo": It is also giving to be what the Torah describes as a "helpmeet against him." If we see our spouse about to make an erroneous decision or head down a destructive path, it is our job to find a loving and creative way to stop him. And then to redirect him. This is giving at its best.
The secret to a good marriage isn't an esoteric kabbalistic formula. It's simple and straightforward. But it can be so difficult -- when we're tired, when the kids are pulling on us, when we have a job deadline, when we're cooking for the holidays, when the house is a mess, when our nerves are frazzled... in other words, almost all the time! But if we still continue to give, even under these trying circumstances, then we reap the very great rewards inherent in having a successful marriage.
(34) LLP , August 7, 2009
really?
Was this really written in 2009? Wow.
(33) Anonymous , August 4, 2009
Some Things Ring True. # 2 - 5 - 6 - 8 Especially.
Emuna,.... I agree as women we must do our part in a marriage. We aren't connected at the hip to our spouse. They have a life, we have a life. We have made an agreement to marry, to jointly keep a home to live together, perhaps to raise children. The things we did together before our marriage we do together now as well as new interests and adventures. . These are the things that are a part of our life together...................... Traditionally we said we would honor love cherish, and obey, even through sickness, FOREVER. Do you think we really thought that throughenough before making that commitment.? We're all responsible for our own joy. In fact we are commanded to be joyful.
How reasonable is it that two people can live together for 50 years and agree on everything, take care of every need and have every one of their needs met? If we are still the same woman he married 20 years ago, then how interesting are we? We can either grow together or grow apart. What have we contributed to the marriage that is new,and fresh and interesting? How predictable is it that a marriage without other interests becomes stagnent.................... Traditionally a home and children is why people got married, the man provided a safe home and food for his wife and children, and the wife made a nurturing comfortable home for her husband and children. Tthose old traditional ways were OK and most of the marriages of the 30's and 40's survived. With a 50% divorce rate 60 years later, something went terribly wrong................. If you feel your husband doesn't measure up to the task around the house, Hire someone to help you. If you want him to be more caring and anticipate your wishes, then good luck to you. You can make him to go through the motions, but if he isn't truly interested in doing those things, there is no validation in the motions.
Thank you for the article and the comments are great, especially Caryl #4.
(32) Rox , August 4, 2009
Tali...what?
"Please notice that almost all the married ppl who commented find this article mostly on-target while those who don't are mostly single." No, Tali, in fact, I'm reading the comments and most of those who are married here have tried these things and ended up in divorce after they not only didn't help, but in a way made things worse. You seem to very much think all single people are selfish and immature, and every happy single person needs "a therapist who can help you grow up a bit, disabuse you of hollywood- induced ideas, and truly achieve growth." Maybe most happy singles ARE a lot more mature than you care to admit, and G-d has them happily waiting for someone as equally grown-up as they are. That is extremely hard to find in today's world, which is full of co-dependent drama addicts who can barely tolerate being on their own for five minutes (and then turn around and want to use us single people as a sounding board for all their "problems"!). The daughters of Tzelophad weren't married until their early to mid forties, from what I remember, because none of the men around them were even close to their spiritual level until then. I can waste my time wringing my hands than I don't have A Man and His Babies, like you seemed to have done, or I can live my life, get to know myself better, and dedicate my time to doing G-d's work while I'm single until He happens to throw something in the gears to change it. I also pray constantly that He does not bring me to tests. I don't want a life-long TEST, I want a MARRIAGE.
(31) Dieter Rapp Junior , July 29, 2009
Perfect,I love this "Article" Both(man and women)must practice this,each day, all the time. It is no easy.
(30) Anonymous , July 25, 2009
I think you give a lot of good advice in this article. I agree that it is very helpful and down to earth. My marriage ended in divorce a couple of years ago. I think a lot of your points go at the heart of what went wrong with my past marriage.