When A Man Understands

Ive done a lot some blogging about the differences between men and women here on the blog, and I've even talked about how hard it is for one gender to understand the other at times. That, of course, doesn't mean you have to live at cross purposes. It's not always necessary to understand the why's of a certain reaction or response. Sometimes it's enough to understand simply that there will be a reaction or a response.

For instance, if some of the males in my household are equidistant between the bathroom and the back door, there's a 50-50 chance as to which door they'll choose in order to take care of nature's call. I don't understand it. I don't like it. I just know that it is a fact. On their side, they know that I don't like it. So although an outdoor choice makes perfect sense to them (!) they're more likely to choose the indoor response if I happen to be nearby.

One of the areas that men don't understand is pregnancy. And really, who can blame them? They've never experienced it and never will, so they can't truly understand all the intricate realities of what a woman goes through while she's pregnant. Bless their hearts.

My Indiana Jones wrestled with some of this through my six pregnancies. He had sympathy cravings which meant he asked his six-month pregnant wife to pick up a 36-bar pack of Hershey's candy bars while at the grocery store. Except the cashier didn't believe they were for my husband's cravings.

Indiana also tried to be supportive in the labor room. But he learned quickly that encouraging me through a contraction and chanting, "Come on, no pain! No pain!" were two separate things.

Now our third son and his wife are expecting their first baby, and yes, that grin has pretty much been on his face ever since they announced they had a little bundle of joy coming. I think it got a little bigger when they announced that the baby is a BOY! (Just in case you missed it.)

Paul's been pretty supportive during Shelby's pregnancy, understanding (or at least accepting) the nausea and exhaustion that often accompanies the first part of a pregnancy. But he's even taking it a step further. He's had some cravings. He's joked about having mood swings, but the grin is the only mood I've seen. But he's also been good about filling in for his wife. For instance, she's off coffee for the duration of the pregnancy, and she really misses it. Some men might sympathize with their wife, but still drink their coffee. Some might give up coffee right along with their wife. But here's where Paul is going the extra mile.

He's having his coffee and her's too. Talk about a sacrifice!