Her Relationships

The Problems

Romance stories teach that marriage will be full of bliss and that the happily-ever-after state will be fully in place at marriage. Thankfully, most men and women recognize this notion as juvenile before they actually enter marriage.

However, feminism suggests that since women don't need men, husbands are only useful if they serve as a continuous source of happiness. Denying male-female differences, feminism also predicts that men will be interested in the marriage relationship in the same ways as women. Lastly, feminism regards children as life's burden instead of as its joy.

The Insights

A woman's happiness is closely tied to the success of her relationships. "Success" being evaluated by a relationship's degree of emotional intimacy and affection. Yet, across different types of relationships the linkage to her happiness varies in direction and magnitude, as follows:

Parents are duty bound to fill their children up with love without requiring a child's effort and despite a child's failings.

Friends offer a woman a symmetrical source of happiness. The happiness from female friends is given and gained in equal measure and in similar ways. Some of these should grow deep in intimacy and affection.

Husbands offer a woman a complementary source of happiness. The happiness from husbands is not matched in quantity or method to the happiness given. Men are awkward in conveying emotional intimacy and frighten easily (like wild animals). After much work on the wife's part, husbands can become a capstone source of happiness.

Children require a magnificent amount of happiness from a woman. Thankfully mothers are adept at finding joy in these creatures, at least when they're little.

Her Responsibility

A woman needs to place her relationships first. In order to bear up her life's work as the center of the home, she must grow rewarding relationships. Love from earthly and heavenly parents and closeness from siblings and girlfriends are needed to buoy her through the exhaustion. She must also find joy in raising children and homemaking, overcoming the post-feminist pitfall of being work oriented. Tasks are not the source of happiness for her or her home.

Once she enjoys successful relationships and finds joy at home, a woman can fruitfully approach her capstone relationship: marriage. A woman will need to muster all her cheerfulness and sensitivity to maintain closeness with her husband.

Keep Reading >> A Cycle of Complements

See previous article in series: His Role