I was caught off guard when my husband, Jake, handed me a schedule titled “How to Become a Better Wife.” Instead of reacting with anger, I decided to play along, planning to teach him a valuable lesson about his new outlook on marriage.
Jake had become influenced by his single friend, Steve, who loved giving unsolicited relationship advice. Before long, Jake began suggesting ways I could “improve” as a wife.
One evening, he presented me with a detailed list of tasks: waking up early to prepare gourmet breakfasts, hitting the gym, and managing all the household chores.
Rather than argue, I agreed to give it a try.
But secretly, I created my own list for him, outlining the costs associated with his expectations—gym memberships, organic groceries, and even the loss of my income if I had to quit my job to follow his plan.
When Jake saw my list, it became clear just how unreasonable his demands had been.
In that moment, we both realized that marriage is about teamwork and mutual respect, not about trying to change one another. We ended up tearing up both lists, reminding ourselves that we were on the same team.
