A Good Wife

We have been married for 3 years as of August 31st. Being a good wife has become more of a challenge the longer we're married. I believe the reason is that now I have more and more responsibility with two kids and the fact that I am now a stay-at-home mom and don't have the excuse of homework and school for my messy house and lack of dinner on the table. I often complain to James about how hard it is to be a mom and a wife. Even though I love love love my "job" I still think it is just too much for one woman to have to handle all on her own. How do single moms do it? How did my mother-in-law do it? Well, I beg for the help of my husband often and when I'm not begging, I find myself in tears wondering why he isn't just stepping up to help me. He sometimes says, "Well, I've been at work all day and I just need to unwind..." Well, the other day I complained about how he is able to escape from the stress at home when he goes to work. He turned to me and said, "You act as if I am at the spa all day."

Through my husband's wit I learned a very important lesson. Yes, my husband should be helping me around the house and with the kids. Yes, it is hard work and I believe a woman should be praised by her husband often for what she does in the home. However, husbands have a hard job too. Who knew? I want so badly to be a good wife that I find myself stressing about all the things I think a good wife should be doing and that turns me into a nasty, selfish sort of wife. So, later that night I actually felt sympathy for my husband when he complained about his feet being sore from walking ALL day every day. I gave him a foot massage and instantly felt the love and desire he had to help me with what I needed from him. Funny, isn't that what we have been taught in this gospel all along?

We all probably have different definitions of what "a good wife" is and does, but one thing that I have learned is that my desire should not be to be "a good wife". My desire should be to love and serve my husband. If that makes me a good wife then I'll take the title, if it doesn't, then I'll still have a happy husband. I'm going to try. Ask me how well I do when I've spent all day listening to both kids scream... Well, it's worth the effort.

I just wondered how many other husbands and wives go through the same sort of "my job is harder than yours" debate... forget about it and just kiss each other. The End.