by Harriet Hairston
This past Saturday, For Healthy Marriages on Facebook started raining all kinds of simple wisdom for married men. For example, “Men, you do not need to bathe in your cologne…just a dab will do.” This is a basic truth that will definitely draw a wife closer to the cavern in her husband’s neck as opposed to repelling her and making her gasp for air. If physical touch is your love language, gentlemen, it would do you well to heed this sage advice.
The same day I received a message from Jerry Hooks (a friend of mine from high school) regarding my last post about becoming a better spouse. After commending me for making sense (that’s a huge undertaking for a circular thinker like me!), he asked if there was anything more out there for the men. That gave me pause, because I thought the article was pretty universal. Upon taking another look, I did realize that it had more of a feminine undertone (I mean, what do you expect? This estrogen runs DEEP!). I often talk to Mr. Incredible to get his perspective, but even when I write about his viewpoint, it still comes from my feminine brain.
Although there’s nothing at all wrong with the way I think and thus write, it’s important to have the Lamar Tylers, Ayize Ma’ats, Marcus Whytes, Eric Paynes, Mocha Dads, Delano Squires and Janks Mortons out there (just to name a few), providing men with wisdom and guidance about how to be good men, husbands and fathers. After all, we live in a generation now where 70% of black children are born to single parents (by and large, single MOTHERS).
We are in dire need of men’s perspectives! Janks Morton completed an entire documentary on 101 things boys being raised by single mothers should know from men of all walks of life. I’d like to jump on that format and ask the men out there to do the same for husbands who may or may not have seen a healthy example of what a good husband should look like growing up.
To the men out there: brothers, fathers, husbands, uncles, play cousins (LOL), I’d like to engage you in a challenge to help equip other men. Join the husband’s roll call. We would love to have 101 comments from husbands all over the world. Leave a few pieces of advice for other husbands out there. Your advice could cover anything from sensitivity to sex.
And spread the word! Join the “Husband Roll Call” and equip another husband today!
God bless!
~ Harriet
Harriet Hairston is a woman who slips and slides in and out of labels (military officer, human resource manager, minister, mentor, spoken word artist and teacher). The only ones that have stuck so far are “wife” and “mother” (the most important in her estimation). The rest have taught her well that only what she does for Christ will last. There is one more permanent label she holds: “author.” You can purchase her first book, “Who Are You?” simply by clicking on the link. You can also contact her at harriet_hairston@yahoo.com.