On Friday night, my husband took me out on a date. This, in and of itself, was what I’d like to call a regular blessing. He regularly plans and takes me out on dates. He makes me feel special and cherished, and I enjoy that time having his full attention.

Sometimes I like to be surprised and not know what he has planned. But Thursday, I flat-out asked, “So, what’s on the agenda tomorrow night?” And he told me, “We’re going shopping for a new dress.” I was thrilled! I haven’t taken the time to buy a new dress for years. And believe it or not, when it comes to buying clothes for myself, there’s no one I’d rather shop with than my husband. Why? Because he participates. He really wants to be there (something you can’t pretend to do, guys). He takes pleasure in my enjoyment.

But men, this is not for the faint-hearted. If you are even considering blessing your wife in this way, you should know …

• It takes a real man to walk through the women’s clothing department at Kohl’s. No, not just walk through, that would entail a purposeful strategy. Shopping with your wife includes lingering and browsing and backtracking and flipping through the racks.
• It takes a real man to carry close to a dozen dresses that his wife wants to try on — some of them “just for fun.”
• It takes a real man to voluntarily peruse the clearance rack for dresses while his wife is looking elsewhere.
• It takes a real man to sit outside the dressing room holding his wife’s jacket and purse!
• It takes a real man to comment and give his honest opinion on those dozen dresses.

This kind of date might not be for all couples. Some wives may not appreciate their husband’s input, especially if it’s not sincere. But know this, men, your wife will be blessed head to toe if you take her shopping and enjoy it as much as she does.

So guys, when your wife isn’t feeling well, how do you respond? Are you quick to lend a hand? Do you give her the rest she needs? Do you handle the things you know are important to her before she asks? Or do you pretend not to notice and hope she’ll just keep plugging along? Maybe you are somewhere in between. I think most women will only ask for help as a last resort, but they would gratefully accept it if offered. A husband needs to be sensitive to his wife’s weakness when she’s sick and strive selflessly to be a blessing.

It’s also possible that a husband’s response will depend on how long the couple has been married. Here’s one person’s humorous depiction of how that response may deteriorate with time:

Seven Ages of the Married Cold

1st year — The husband says, “Oh, sweetie pie, I’m really worried about those nasty sniffles you have! There’s no telling what that could turn into with all the strep that’s been going around. I’m going to take you right down to the hospital and have you admitted for a couple days of rest. I know the food is lousy there, so I’m going to bring you some takeout from China Garden. I’ve already arranged it with the head nurse.”

2nd year — “Listen, honey, I don’t like the sound of that cough. I called the doc and he’s going to stop by here and take a look at you. Why don’t you just go on to bed and get the rest you need?”

3rd year — “Maybe you better go lie down, darling. When you feel lousy you need the rest. I’ll bring you something–do we have any canned soup around here?”

4th year — “No sense wearing yourself out when you’re under the weather. When you finish those dishes and the kids’ baths and get them to bed, you ought to go to bed yourself!”

5th year — “Why don’t you take a couple aspirin?”

6th year — “You oughta go gargle or something, instead of sitting around barking like a dog!”

7th year — “For Pete’s sake, stop sneezing. Are you trying to give me pneumonia? You’d better pick up some tissues while you’re at the store.”