Treat Him Like A King

Lately I’ve been seeing posts on Instagram and Facebook where a woman will make a statement, and then say something like “treat your man like a king.” For example, a woman posted a picture of her partner’s clothes, shoes, accessories, lunch, and everything else he would need for the day laid out for him with the following caption: “When you get your Man [man] ready for work while he sleep [he’s sleeping] [be]cause  he have [has] to be there at 4am [.] Lunch packed, clothes ready, ran him a hot bath before bed, and when he gets home [sexual innuendo], nothing but King treatment when you [you’re] a hard-working man. I also saw another post where a women said  “If my man pays for lunch, I’ll pay for dinner. If he pays for movie tickets, I got the snacks. If he gets the bill I’ll get the next. 50/50 is where it’s at stop expecting to be treated like a queen if you’re not treating him like a king.”

I saw mixed views in the comment section of each post, but majority were “I’m not doing all that for no grown man.” I also saw responses like “I know my man wouldn’t do that for me, so I’m not doing all of that for him.” I made no judgement against anyone and their response because we are all entitled to our own opinions; however I was appalled at some of the responses I read. Here’s my thoughts:

First, let’s separate the two posts and break them down individually. I believe that going 50/50 in a relationship is for those who are girlfriend and boyfriend only. In that type of relationship, majority of your finances are separate, you have your own car, and if you believe in cohabitation before marriage, both names are on the lease so you feel obligated to split the payments for rent and utilities. When it comes to marriage, there is no 50/50. My money is your money, and your money is my money. So whoever decides to pull their card out first to pay isn’t doing the other a favor or saying “I got this baby.” You’re basically saying “we can use my card this time.” When you’re married, all your money should go into the same accounts. If you have the bills automatically drafted then there is no “I’ll take care of the electricity this month,” or “You didn’t put up your half for the rent/mortgage.” I’ll be honest and admit that my husband and I operated in this manner before we actually said “I do.” That mindset started before marriage because we already had our first daughter so we saw no point in going 50/50 when we were in a healthy relationship with one another. It makes me wonder… People who are in relationships and are cohabitants… do they go 50/50 on the child(ren) also? For example, one takes care of the pampers, wipes and milk while the other takes care of daycare and clothes? I’m not sure, but that mindset made no sense to my husband (fiancé’ at the time) and I.

I know a lot of married women and men dislike the idea of shared bank accounts because they still want the ability to do what they want without someone checking on them, or having to discuss a purchase. Well that’s where communication comes in. You have to put it all out there. Go over your budget to see what you have to pay for and how much it costs; what’s left over and how much you will allot for yourselves in order to treat yourselves. Separate bank accounts screams secrecy and “my money!” so loud to me and those are both negative elements that can lead to negative outcomes in one’s marriage. Why? Because finances are one of the leading causes of divorce in married couples. Why? Because married individuals are lying about their debt, their spending habits and create a war zone within their union. If you’re boyfriend and girlfriend, by all means keep it separate and 50/50. Why? Because when you sign that lease with one another and a break-up happens, you both have to come up with the money to break the lease. Or will you live with one another in suffrage until the lease is up? Everyone’s definition of Queen and King treatment is different, but going 50/50 on lunch, a movie date and dinner is not treating your partner like a Queen or King. I see that as simply seeing your partner as an equal and not expecting him/her to pay for everything while you spend your money freely on yourself. It’s an act of generosity and empathy.

Now when it comes to taking care of all your significant other’s needs in preparation for work the next day, I’m all for it. I don’t think one should expect that treatment from their partner, but I also don’t think that a woman should feel like she is taking care of an additional child while doing it. I’m a mother so I know that struggle of “I’ve been working, taking care of the kids and this house, I’m not about to be your maid.” Many of us feel like our husbands only go to work and that’s it. They come home take their clothes off, sit on the toilet for an hour or two, play with the kids for a little, eat and watch TV. Meanwhile, we’re washing the same load of clothes for the 3rd time because we keep forgetting to put them in the dryer, stopping one child from knocking their entire plate onto the carpet, all while trying to hold onto our edges. After all of that, who feels like getting their husbands belongings together like it’s their first day of school?

I strongly believe this act takes for one to know their spouse’s love language and their individual love language as well. This action sounds like an act of service to me. Maybe that wife appreciates her husband going out and working 12 hours in the sun and wants to see him relax. Maybe her husband responds to her in a positive way when he sees how much she’s done around the house and still managed to take care of him. I saw some women say that they begrudgingly lay everything out for their husbands so that they won’t wake them up and bother them when they can’t find something. Sounds about right.

I also see laying everything out as an additional way of being a keeper of one’s home. Just making sure that everything and everyone is ready for the next work and school day. It makes for a smooth transition in the morning and a stronger possibly of an on-time arrival. My husband typically likes to choose his own clothes and likes to put his wallet and keys in the same place each day (or he’ll forget) so I don’t have to worry about doing those things. Nevertheless, if he needed me to do it, I surely would. My husband works 14-hour days, and as a black man walks out our home into a world where there is a target on his back, and the weight of providing for his family weighs heavy on his shoulders. While he’s home with us, I want to make sure that I make his time as easy-going as possible, and do what allows for him to spend every free minute he has with the children. I know that if I don’t give him something for breakfast or provide some snacks, he may not eat until dinner. I refuse to let my husband wither away. I do it out of love. The Bible calls it agape love. When you do something out of pure love and don’t expect anything back.

As far as King status goes, he’s definitely my King on earth. In a world that views him as a threat, I see him as royalty so I will most definitely treat him like a King. I also believe myself to be a Queen; therefore I am married to my King. Treating him like a King doesn’t mean I become his servant, but I do acts of service. Jesus Himself served his disciples. I don’t view the act of taking care of my husband as taking away from me. It doesn’t mean that I ignore what the world thinks of me as a black women. It doesn’t mean that I beat myself to a pulp trying to care for our children and him. It’s all about perception. But I’m also married to a man where those things are not options. He reciprocates that agape love the best way he knows how and treats me like the ultimate Queen.

I’m grateful.

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If You Go Searching, You’re Sure to Find Something

Back in April I recorded a podcast with a group a ladies for Moms Like Her “Moms Wine Too” event (you can find her blog on WordPress also).  It was recorded on Mommy Matters Wine Down podcast (Go check it out on Apple, Google Play or SoundCloud- It’s amazing, and I’m on there a lot!). The host, Antonia asked how we felt about checking phones-doing the checking and getting checked. There were mixed feelings throughout the room, but I was confident in my answer. You should be able to check your spouse’s phone!

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the saying, “don’t go looking or you’ll find something” when it came to being in a relationship. “Once you go searching, you’re bound to find something.” When I think about it, I’ve only heard the saying directed toward women. It’s what she’s typically told when she has that gut feeling that her significant other is cheating on her.

Ultimately, I believe that both men and women should be able to communicate about whatever thoughts, feelings and insecurities they may have in the relationship. For example, if you’re uncomfortable with the amount of time your spouse spends on their phone at night, you should address it. The issue comes in when one has addressed it but is still unsatisfied. The sensible thing would be to bring it up in conversation again, and if you don’t see any change you free yourself from the relationship. Majority of the time, that’s not what happens. We need proof! Proof that nothing is going on, or proof that something is going on. What’s the first thing you do? You search through your spouse’s phone. The phone is the gateway to text messages, voicemails, call logs, emails and social media. But according to the masses, you shouldn’t go looking because you will in fact find something you won’t like.

To be honest, I do believe that you shouldn’t have to go searching through anyone’s phone; however, I don’t believe that you should find anything when you look. I think it’s unhealthy if you have to hide your phone, or an argument ensues if you do not share your pass code with your significant other.  Here’s why I personally believe that passwords should be shared:

1. If there is an emergency, who do I notify besides the authorities? I’m pretty sure your next of kin would like to know if there is an emergency.
2. If my phone is broken or has a dead battery, can I easily use your phone? Am I on the same level as a stranger and you dial everyone’s number for me?
3. When you’re married, there’s no such thing as privacy (I’ll explain further).
4. There shouldn’t be anything in your phone that is inappropriate!!

I know many people are testy when it comes to sharing pass codes to phones. I can understand why; it’s your phone and your privacy. But what happens when there is an accident that causes you to be hospitalized? If it’s serious enough for a stay in the hospital, I believe it’s important for someone to be able to get in contact with your loved one(s) immediately.

I also stated that there is no such thing as privacy when it comes to marriage. This is solely my opinion! The only secrets that exists between my husband and I are surprises for one another, or the privacy of our friends/family. For example, I will tell my husband who I’m talking to and that it’s about a private matter so that he won’t become skeptical about why I keep turning my phone away from him. Otherwise, it’s an open book. I realize everyone does not operate this way, but it works for my husband and I. We could literally take each other’s phones for the day and be just fine.

The last point, and the biggest point is that there shouldn’t be anything inappropriate or needing to be hidden in our phones! I disagree with society’s consensus that when you’re in a relationship, what’s in your spouse’s phone is none of your business. Yes; this is a portion of your relationship that you have to grow to. I don’t expect, or believe that as soon as you begin dating, or enter into a relationship you should drop the passwords into each other’s hands. I know there is a trust factor and it takes time to build, but it is not okay to go through a relationship and into marriage with secrecy.

I am appalled when someone finds something inappropriate in their spouse’s phone, the response is “well you shouldn’t have gone looking.”  The focus should be on the fact the person shouldn’t have found anything in their spouse’s phone. How many times have you watched a reality TV show and the woman finds inappropriate text messages in her man’s phone? The guy’s response is usually, “what were you doing in my phone?” It’s like the wrong doing takes a shift. While myself and some others may feel this way, there are some who are genuinely not bothered by this topic at all. They don’t want or need to know their significant other’s password, and don’t want them to look through their phone either. If that works for you, perfect! However, it doesn’t work for me.

I’m one who firmly believes in the phrase, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” So if  you’re reading this, I challenge you to have a positive and candid conversation with your significant other and discuss the open door policy when it comes to looking through each others phones. This subject should not be approached in an argumentative manner. It can quickly go from feeling like a request to feeling like a demand. It’s no fun being given an ultimatum or being told to do something like you’re a child.

I’ll end with this… The next time someone says, “don’t go looking or you’ll find something,” tell them “there shouldn’t be anything there when I go looking.”