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TheDiscipleMD

Everyone is different so there are no sure-fire habits that work in every marriage, however, I share with you seven small habits my wife has that make her a great wife to me. I emphasize ‘small’ because all of them are easy to do, but seem so hard to maintain over an extended period of time.

1) When we walk together in a private or public place, my wife will often grab my arm and hold onto it. I don’t know why,  but my manhood soars as she seems to place herself in my care.

2) She smiles at me…a lot! How can you not love someone who is smiling at you? There is a warmth that exudes from a person who habitually smiles. How mad can you get at someone who bats her eyes at you when she has done something you don’t like? It’s hard to stay mad at someone like that.

3) She nudges me the direction she wants me to go, be it regarding physical, mental, or spiritual things. But she doesn’t shove me.  I don’t like being shoved. I suspect nobody does. I respond better when she encourages me.

4) From time to time she tells me I’m the greatest man she has ever known. I know it’s not true, but I like hearing that she might think it. Being told by your wife that she loves you is pretty common. Having her say you’re the greatest, or the nicest, or the most spiritual, or handsomest, or that you are the best at anything stays with you. When you got a wife who says that, you don’t want to disappoint her.

5) She laughs…easily! Nothing brightens my day more than hearing her laugh. It doesn’t matter if it is over something unimportant, dumb, or just silly. Hearing her laugh makes me think I am succeeding in making her happy. And believe it or not,  I think most husbands have that goal at the top of their list.

6) She looks at me when I speak to her. By looking at me she lets me know that she values what I am saying and that I have her attention. When the kids were little, she was wonderful to stop, look at,  and then listen to what the kids were saying. You can’t communicate love better than that.

7) She is affectionate! The world is a brutal place. When you walk out your door it is a battleground where your ego is being put on the line each and every hour. When I come home, I need someone there who will put their arm around me and help give me the strength to go out and face another day. I know it sounds corny, but her touch gives me strength and the courage to go right back out there and ‘fight the good fight.’ (2 Tim. 4:7) Without her touch, I feel alone in the world!

These seven small habits make a big difference in my life and in my marriage. There are many more, and I am sure that each relationship is uniquely different. Yet, as men and women we have essentially the same needs. A man and a woman, united,  can scale to great heights in this life.  At times, you can almost touch the stars,  and certainly a part of heaven can grace our marriages if we follow the example of our Savior by living a life of service and unselfishness.