Happy wife, happy life
WHEN it comes to married couples, there’s a quote that some husbands, including myself, would definitely subscribe to — “happy wife, happy life”. If you think this is just a made-up quote, think again.
A write-up on the website mindblowingfacts.org revealed that there might actually be some scientific proof behind this saying. The University of Michigan conducted a one-on-one survey in over 18,000 houses involving spouses. For this study, one spouse had to be at least 50 years old and the other had to be 60 or more.
They discovered that if the wife was happy with the marriage, the couple led a happier life. Meanwhile, if the women felt dissatisfied, so too did the men. The study concluded that a happier wife does really lead to a happier life.
While some husbands may think that this is a challenge to their status, personally, I feel it makes perfect sense. After all, a marriage is a partnership that shares a common objective — happiness. Assuming both parties enter the partnership with a selfless attitude and loving hearts, the phrase becomes crystal clear. Once the couple has children, the happiness factor becomes even more important because it needs to extend to the children too. Imagine an unhappy couple raising a child together. How do you think they’d cope with life’s challenges?
PRIORITISING HAPPINESS This is the reason why my wife and I make happiness our first priority.
There are many ways to achieve this. Begin with small acts of kindness such as truly caring for one another. Don’t forget to kiss her good morning and goodbye before leaving for work. Also ensure that she’s the first person you greet upon coming home.
Occasionally, surprise her with dining out so she can take a break from her chores. Better still, complete those chores together. Of course, don’t ever forget important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries. In fact, the best way to remember them is to forget it once!
Make those dates even more special if you can. For example, in recent years during our anniversary, we’d try to get some alone time and go somewhere without the children. This is easier now because they’ve grown up and become more independent. We’ve been to Koh Samui, Tanjung Jara, Bali and this year, Lombok.
If you plan things well, it won’t cost a fortune but the returns are immense. It’s not the destination that matters but the opportunity to be alone and spend some time together. It’s also a wonderful gesture of appreciation.
Looking back, all the efforts a husband makes to make his wife happy is never a waste. Whether you’re doing stuff for her at home, or whisking her off to some exotic location, all that effort, creativity and cost are nothing compared with the resulting happiness.