I always look at all of the new book releases to see what’s happening and find new, interesting authors. Yesterday, I came across this blurb:
To what lengths will a woman go for a little more help from her husband?
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too… but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?
This got me thinking. Either Nora Spangler’s job isn’t that demanding or she’s just weird. I’m also the paper-roll-tracking lunch-packing person in my family but that’s not because my husband doesn’t want to ‘help’ but because it would take an army to wrench my paper rolls out of my cold dead hands. I love doing this shit. I experienced life without toilet paper, so now stacking toilet paper holders (which I couldn’t imagine even existed when I was growing up) is a sublime experience.
Honestly, doing household stuff in a developed country when you have a successful attorney salary is so easy and enjoyable that feeling put upon by it is just bizarre.
SO WHAT?? There’s a division of labor, and wives ALWAYS handle family social obligations like holiday cards.
I’ve been sending old friends holiday cards/letters for over 60 years now, and as soon as my single male friends got married, EVERY single card or social letter that I’ve received from their household has been written by their wife, even if we’ve never met (and their wives write more informative letters than the male friends did).
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I totally need to get into doing the Christmas cards. I always wanted to be the kind of woman who is so together that she designs her own Christmas card.
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If you’ve got a pet or a young child, designing your own card is a piece of cake. Just put a picture of the kid or pet on the front with “Happy Holidays” printed on the photo, and leave the inside page blank except for your own handwritten note.
All your friends will be very impressed.
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That’s so smart! And I have a very beautiful kid, too. I’m so doing it next year. Thanks for the inspiration!
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For all complaints about “I work and I do all the housework!” there is a quick litmus test for whether the complaint is justified or not.
Who handles the rat traps?
Or, alternately, when the outside trash can is full of maggots, whose job is it to clean that out?
If the husband does that stuff, she’s just whining. Move along. If she’s doing that stuff, too, she may have a valid complaint.
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