How to be a gentleman- Part 5

After yesterday’s break, here is part 5…

Have good hygiene. Remember when you were dating and you always wanted to impress her? You always smelled good, had a good shave, and kept your nails neat and trim. Well, that should never change. Don’t stop taking care of yourself just because you’ve been married a long time. Don’t let yourself go. Your toenails should not resemble the talons of a bird of prey. Keep yourself clean. She doesn’t want to be near you if you smell like a goat (no offense to our goat friends out there). Brush your teeth. She doesn’t want to see or smell what you had for lunch yesterday. Good hygiene does not mean femininity. It means taking care of yourself so you are not offensive to her. Intimacy starts with good hygiene (and that goes both ways).

Do things she enjoys (even if you are not thrilled about it). Trust me fellas. She’s endured plenty of ball games and other things you find enjoyable. Unless she’s a true sports nut, she would probably have rather been doing something else. It’s not going to kill you to tag along on something she likes to do. Only doing what you like to do is selfish. Don’t be selfish. It’s not a nice quality and she won’t appreciate that quality in you.

Give her your jacket if she’s cold. By nature, men are warmer than women. Maybe it’s that extra layer of blubber that beer placed around our midsections. Anyway, don’t chastise her for not being prepared for cooler temperatures. Sometimes restaurants crank their air conditioners to ridiculous levels and they can’t help but feel cold. Wrap your jacket around her shoulders and give her a reassuring hug to warm her up. Who cares if you are cold as a result. Put up with a bit of discomfort for her sake.

Send her flowers. In an effort to be totally transparent, the number of times I have sent flowers to Tami can be counted on one hand. It just doesn’t do a lot for her. But the few times I HAVE sent them, she has liked it (she just didn’t like the credit card bill that followed). Anyway, send her flowers when she least expects them. It lets her know you are thinking of her more than just on her birthday and your anniversary.