Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tribute to the Male Species

Most of the time I find myself wanting to pull my hair out when it comes to trying to figure out my man, but like everything else I try to look on the bright side. So with my limited knowledge of men (very limited) I decided to take what I know and see the good. I'll be speaking in absolutes but obviously I don't know everything and this is mostly based on my husbands personality. I know it's not Father's Day but I think our guys are pretty special and next time they do something very "male" that makes us crazy, let's try to look on the bright side because, honestly, we got it pretty good.


They really don't care what anyone else thinks. 
For example, we bought a new grill a few weeks ago and over the 4th of July weekend had some folks out. My husband was determined to keep the grill on the back porch even though every time the door opened the smoke detector in the house went off. I suggested moving the grill many times to no avail, and even when our friends suggested it he always shook his head and said "Nah I'm good." *sigh* Ok so things like that could make me crazy but when I think about the fact that when it comes to things like our family values and convictions, or the way we raise our kids...He's unmoving. He doesn't care what anyone else says and doesn't feel the need to explain why we do what we do. I can really appreciate this because I would tend to compromise what I believe for the sake of making others happy.


Just because they're not talking doesn't mean they aren't listening.
It used to make me crazy (hah! sometimes still does!) that my brothers or father, never just wanted to talk, or that when I talked they didn't really participate. Now I live with a man who is the same way. I would ask many times "hello? are you listening?" He always replies, "Yes babe, I'm listening." I don't think that when men get together to "chat" that they encourage the conversation like women do. You don't hear one guy saying to another "Oh sure, go on, what happened next?" But we like to hear things like that as we tell a story. And as frustrating as it can be I have had to remind myself of all the surprise gifts he's gotten me and I've thought to myself "wow he was listening." It's also really nice to know he's not sitting there thinking about what he wants to say, waiting for me to take a breath so he can jump in and interrupt (like I know I'm sometimes guilty of). If he doesn't have a reply right away, it's because he really was listening. And just because he's not saying anything doesn't mean he's holding out on you, just means he really doesn't have anything to say.


Like a rock.
I'll admit there have been times I've thought my man was a rock tied to a rope around my neck dragging me down. I always get these "brilliant" ideas and he always seems to squelch them. However, I can't tell you how many hair brained, crazy ideas he's kept me from running with by just saying "let's sleep on it." Would make me so crazy! Why won't they just move and do what we want?? But then I'd wake up the next day or the next day and realize he was right (gulp, don't tell him I said that!). I'm so glad I have a rock in my life and that he is tied around my neck! He keeps me grounded so that I'm free to be overly emotional, crazy full of life and energy, and free to go with the flow.


They look so good.
Men are, well, men. They have their own manly way of doing and seeing everything but sometimes it's best to embrace the difference. There is definitely a physical aspect that I love about my man. He's strong where I'm weak, and hard where I'm soft. After I ask him to do something, like move a giant piece of furniture up or down the stairs, he often asks me "You know I'm not really Superman right?" I always look at him like "well, of course you are" and almost always he really can do it. He can always get the lid off the pickle jar, reach the top shelf, take even our 5 year old on airplane rides, and right after I was pregnant and the nurse wouldn't let me go to the NICU to see my baby until I was able to put myself in my wheelchair, he was able to pick me up and put me there when she wasn't looking. Even if your man isn't the most physically fit, there is something about the male body that get's us every time.


These are just a few things. What's something about your man that makes you crazy but is really a good thing? Post a comment, I'd love to hear about it.

2 comments:

  1. LOVE THIS KATIE and i am soo proud of you darling! yes, you have come so far!! Love the most your line that he keeps you grounded, so you can be your crazy self. INVALUABLE!!!
    I will tell you something about my husband. He epitomizes procrastination and i epitomize "if it can be done yesterday, it will be." I have often teased him, he is just like God. they both wait till past the last moment to do everything! as far as i am concerned. But i have soo learned to trust his timing - because it is so much like God's. and he is exactly right on - more times than not. Thank you Father for the balance he is to me.

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  2. Wow that's so true. Andy is such a procrastinator but I never would have put that in the "plus" category! LOL and definitely wouldn't have thought it's a godly quality. Thanks!

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