(I wrote this piece for the June 2022 newsletter of the California Association of American Mothers, Inc.: https://www.americanmothers.org/)

In honor of Father’s Day, I would like to encourage wives to respect and appreciate their husbands. Feminism has helped to correct some serious injustices, but it may also have left us confused about the unique gifts that men and women each possess and how we are meant to be a blessing to one another. (I am drawing on chapters 2-3 of Ultimate Makeover: The Transforming Power of Motherhood by Carrie Gress; I will return to the virtues and vices next month.)

Everything about a woman’s body is ordered toward motherhood. A woman’s heart and soul are no different. Even if a woman never bears children, she is still meant to be a spiritual mother to those around her. A man’s body is likewise ordered toward fatherhood. He is at his best when he is providing for and defending those in his care. Rather than competing with men, we can rejoice in our complementary differences.

Women also have a great capacity for a rich inner life. We can bring our loved ones’ needs to prayer and receive wisdom about what they need. We can then lovingly bring our insights to the attention of the men in our life so that they can help put into action what we have received. Women can thus serve as a bridge between heaven and earth. We flourish with the loving support of our husbands, and men thrive with the appreciation, respect, and spiritual insights of their wives. Children who see their parents loving and respecting each other grow up with a profound sense of security and are more likely to choose their own spouses well.

May God bless you all this Father’s Day and always!