I was recently talking to a married friend of mine who was complaining about his wife. He puts in some long hours to make sure that she and their daughter are provided for. He gets home late and tired, and she's got nothing but increasing demands. He was wondering why she couldn't appreciate his effort, and recognize the stress and pressure he was constantly under.

My reply was this: when you become a husband, you become an appliance to a woman - like a clothes washer. It's a good appliance to have. Some come with more features than others, and some models have cosmetically pleasing exteriors, but they all serve the same purpose - to improve their owner's quality of life by performing their function.

Now, to step inside her mindset for a moment, think about your clothes washer. You probably don't think about it much unless it's giving you trouble, or you feel it's time to upgrade. While it's washing a load of your clothes, are you sitting somewhere concerned about the heat buildup in the motor? The stress on the drive belt? The pressure trying to burst past the valves? No? Now you know why she's not thinking about your stress either.