Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Dear Maurice,

I have been married to my husband for the last 18 years. We have 3 kids, two in high school and one in primary. My husband and I have had our ups and downs like any other marriage and we have survived the trials of life together. After 18 years of marriage I can attest to have married the right man for me, he is a loving husband as he is a loving Dad to our children. However, that said, on my part I live every day for the last 11 years regretting a choice I made and it has slowly eaten away at me and I need your direction on the matter.

Maurice asks,

What seems to be eating away at you?

She replies,

When I conceived our last born it was through an unfaithful period of my life. My husband and I had drifted away and I craved attention else where for a short period of time. I regret it every day, what was I thinking I keep asking myself, whatever was going on between my husband and I was not solved by my actions and yet I went along and had an affair behind his back. I am ashamed of myself. Sometimes I don’t feel like I deserve him.

Maurice replies,

It’s no excuse but human is to error at times. You yielded to your bodily desires despite the consequences and you were wrong to do so. What exactly do you seek from me?

She replies,

I keep asking myself if I should tell my husband the truth, will he still accept me as his wife after learning he has been raising another man’s child as his own? I feel that he would leave me, ask for a divorce, I would have disgraced my entire family and I don’t think I could live with that.

Maurice asks,

So you are sure that your husband would leave you?

She replies,

Yes he would. In the past he has had out bursts in anger and mentioned that if he ever found out that I had been unfaithful, he would throw me out and take custody of the children.

Maurice asks,

Does the biological father know about his child?

She replies,

No. If he knew he would expose us.

Maurice asks,

Why do you say so?

She replies,

Because he is my husband’s second cousin, they are related by blood and they are both proud stubborn men. That’s the other issue. Doesn’t my last born deserve to know his real father?

Maurice replies,

Apart from your guilt trip, if you can attest to having a great husband and that your marriage is intact then I personally do not see why you should open up a can of worms that will only most likely go against you. It’s up to you at the end of the day but I do not see any reason to complicate matters. This is one secret that you must take to your grave. Your children already have a Dad, anyone can be a father but it takes effort and love to be a Dad, a father figure in a household. Your husband is clearly a good Dad so don’t take that away from your children. Let this be a lesson to you that choices have consequences. Enjoy your marriage and let go of the past.

Hi Maurice,

I could not resist but to respond to your facebook status which implied that money in a relationship can not assure happiness or love. Well I am inclined to agree with you but I must tell you my story so that you understand why.

I am a 56 year old woman and I am extremely happy in my marriage however that was not always the case.

I was married at the age of 24, I was married to a man who was 12 years my senior. This man showered me with irresistible flattering compliments, with luxuries that only a few women ever get to experience. Let me break it down for you.

I was a Muthaiga lady, I was part of the elite society, I can not mention the people I rubbed shoulders with but they were the cream of Kenya.

My ex husband was wealthy not rich, rich people were considered poor in our social circles, this was old money.

We lived in what I can only describe as a 8 bedroom Castle, calling it a mansion would be an understatement. We had 6 cars and the cheapest car was worth 5 million Kenya shillings, and we never had second hand cars all our cars were bought in cash from dealership showrooms in Nairobi.

My ex husband was generous enough to grant me a monthly allowance of ksh300,000 excluding the two businesses in my name. In other words the allowance was for my hair and cosmetics.

In the 21 years we were married I traveled to over 30 Countries around the World. All my travels were to shop and holiday, it was heavenly.

But what I am not telling you is that despite the lavish lifestyle I was lonely, my heart was hollow, for almost two decades I would cry myself to sleep. I was emotionally abused by that man, he married a beautiful young girl and what he pursued to achieve was to break my spirit and self worth, and remind me that without him I would have amounted to nothing. Most of our public appearances were just a facade, we played the in-love couple but in reality love was never part of the deal.

When I reflect back I see a young naive woman who was swept off her feet by a man who was looking to get married to a triumph girl, a girl he could show off and she loved the attention at first but it was short lived when reality checked in.

The only regret I do not have because they are my blessing are my 2 grown up children. They love us both and I will never keep them from bonding with their father.

As for me I left at my own will after I finally told myself enough is enough. Long story but I lost my businesses and I only left with my cherished possessions. I needed a fresh start. It was hard after my income was almost non-existent, and no more disposable cash. But somehow I survived. I eventually got a job and was sharing an apartment with a friend who I had initially dismissed due to my high lifestyle. It was then that I knew who my real friends were. None from my click of Muthaiga girlfriends even acknowledge me today, if anything they look down on me but guess what there was light at the end of the tunnel for me.

Eight years ago I met a very humble businessman who did not try to impress me with money but just opened his heart and life to me and now he is part of  my  life as my husband. We have been married for 6 years.

Maurice, I am so happy and loved that honestly words alone can not describe the genuine attention I receive from this man. We collectively earn roughly what used to be my allowance and we live well. We live in Kitengela, in our own 3 bedroom home and compound, and we only have one car between us. Life is about how much we love and appreciate each other. Whether we gain material stuff or not the most important thing is that we have each other and we support each other in everything we do.

My husband wines and dines me willingly and with so much passion, he is a true romantic, very sentimental in character and I love him for all those things that he is. Above all I must mention that my husband is rich at heart, he is rich in the love he soaks me in, it’s so intoxicating and sweet. I never thought such love existed, maybe only in the movies.

A friend once asked me if I miss my old life, she was referring to the lifestyle, and I confidently said ‘no I don’t’. I would not even want to live that level of luxury with my husband today because I saw it ‘first hand’ that a certain level of wealth is poisonous. Life becomes so artificial.

Just to take you back a bit. I actually met you at a bridal shower years ago and one thing you said stood out and that was “men do not know how to love but they are good at caring for a woman who means something to them”, how true that is. When my husband says he cares for me I equate it to a million I love yous, I totally understood what you meant though I recall that many of the women at that bridal shower were disappointed by your comment. They failed to read between the lines, all they heard was that men can not love a woman which is not what you said. Truth be told us women can be shallow because we are so accustomed to hearing a man say ‘I love you’. Now I know better.

I have the most caring and loving man that I could ever wish for and he tells me the truth whether it hurts or not but everything he does or says is for my own good. I am thankful that God gave me another chance at love and I am happy.

Maurice, if my story can awaken one woman’s mind and save her from the  ordeal I underwent I will have done something. In my opinion many women today are lost in the search for a provider and most of the time they want one who has spending power, how misguided they are. Only if they could allow themselves to grow with their chosen partner, that way they would gradually acquire the wealth together as a couple.

I want you to know that at the bridal shower I watched you closely and listened to you attentively and what I read was a man who is incredibly passionate about his work. That’s great but please remember that you can’t save every soul out there, do what you can and hope that others will hear your message and take it upon themselves to make the right decisions in their life.

God bless you.

Dear Maurice,

You are my last hope otherwise I do not see myself married for much longer?

Maurice asks,

What seems to be the problem?

She replies,

I am 29 and I have been married for just over one year and I can’t take my husband’s drinking habits anymore. He drinks heavily and the aftermath is usually a verbally abusive husband. He drinks especially from Wednesday till Sunday morning.

Maurice asks,

He drinks alone or with friends and for how long has this gone on for?

She replies,

Most of the time he is out with his boys drinking at our local bar, once in awhile he will travel out of town for a weekend drink up with his boys. When I met him 9 months before we got married he was still a drinker but it’s gotten worse over the last year. I am tired of receiving calls from him that I need to pick him up because he is too drunk to drive.

Maurice asks,

Why can’t his friends drop him home?

She replies,

Certain rules were applied to our relationship once we got married. He says that as his wife I must tend to him at all times. He will not inconvenience his friends but he will wake me up at odd hours like at 2am, 4am demanding that I pick him up. Thereafter we usually pick up his car the next day once he has sobered up.

Maurice asks,

So you pick him up even from your local or is it when he ventures out?

She replies,

Our local is still a good 5 minute drive so he can’t walk home. Honestly I am tired and fed up of his behavior. If he doesn’t change I am out of this marriage. I am not giving up but there’s only so much a woman can take from a man. I am not old skool so I will not allow my husband to treat me like a door mat for much longer. I was hoping for a give and take marriage where keeping each other happy is priority but it has hit me that my job is to baby sit my husband and remain in the house when he is out drinking.

Maurice asks,

I’m assuming you have voiced your concerns, what does he say?

She replies,

He is always promising to change when he is sober or has no money to drink.

Maurice I am so lonely, we have no kids, it’s just me dwelling in our home which feels more like an empty house with no life in it. Due to my loneliness I have even contemplated dating other men but that’s not why I got married. It’s a tempting thought but it’s not an option.

Maurice replies,

It seems to me that your husband needs to seek help with an alcoholics anonymous group but before that he needs to accept that he has a drinking problem which is affecting your marriage negatively. I also recommend that you see a therapist like myself so that we iron out a few of your issues.

She replies,

I highly doubt that he will agree to any form of counseling.

Maurice replies,

My dear I believe you have made it very clear that unless your husband takes steps to remedy his habit you will leave him, on that note you are not going to be asking him to attend counseling, you will be stipulating that it is make or break time for your marriage. He has to make a choice, if he still wants to have  you as his wife he needs to step up and make the right choices from now on.

Dear Maurice,

I have been dating the love of my life for a while now. I actually had big plans for our future, she was the jewel in my eye, the hottest woman I had ever met and I can’t believe what she did to me. She always told me or implied that all was well between us only for her to email her friends and some of my friends telling them and I quote “he is terrible in bed. I don’t even know why I have been waiting my time with him, the only value to me is his cash”.

After reading her mail which was forwarded to me by the same friends I realised she was out to bruise my manhood.

This was a woman I was going to propose to later this year, if she really thought I was a waste of her time why did she spend so much time with me trotting around the Country having fun?

Maurice replies,

As you quoted her words, she enjoyed your cash, your ability to spend on her.

He replies,

Fair enough, but why email our mutual friends about private matters?

Maurice asks,

Did you have an argument?

He replies,

No, the only thing is that for the last few months I had been telling her how I really feel and her response was not what I expected so I questioned her about her commitment to me. Did I push her to the edge?

Maurice replies,

Asking someone where you stand in your relationship is your right otherwise how can you embark on a journey blindly. So no, I do not believe you pushed her and even if you did she had no right to publish trash about you. Her actions in my opinion are of a woman who was not ready to settle with you as her man. I hate to say it but you were a means to an end, she had enough of you and that was her malicious way of getting rid of you.

He replies,

Women are just full of crap my guy. When you are not exclusive they complain and bitch calling you a player, and when you plan to be exclusive they stab you in the back. There’s no winning with women, that is what she has forced me to believe.

Maurice replies,

I feel your frustration. It’s always good to remember that sometimes with some women ‘good intentions’ never win. But do not go from ‘good guy’ to ‘bad guy’ because of one woman. The reality of the dynamics of relationships is that there’s always a risk element hence why people get mismatched.

My advise to you is first ‘hold back’ on the wallet issue, don’t be too quick to please and pamper a woman with your cash, that formula is usually short lived, after all a woman can always find a guy who out weighs your ATM.

The question is, is she there genuinely or does she have an ulterior motive?

Those women who don’t give you time because you are not showering them  with your monetary ability are a waste of time, it doesn’t matter how HOT she is just let her go. Seek for a woman who values you as a human being, who values you for who you are. I must say though, that those women are rare to find especially in these hard economic times but they are there ‘somewhere’.

————————————————————————————————–

I would like to add that those MEN who tend to predominantly attempt to impress women via their wallets are only fooling themselves. You may think you are on top of things but really it’s the woman or women you are entertaining that are pulling your strings, in essence you are nothing but their puppet until they are done with you or if you are really unlucky they marry you and play you like a flute.

Look it up in the dictionary, being a man does not constitute to spending money to impress. Here is a hard pill to swallow, men know that in many cases it’s the man who spends cash that receives artificial attention however it’s the smooth silent predator ‘who hardly spends’ that gets laid that night.

Think about it, don’t be a flute!

I have not set a date for this workshop yet. It will most likely be on July 21st or 28th.

Many have shown interested in coming with their wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend…. you are all welcome.

 

However I will need to see your commitment by way of a ksh1,000 mpesa deposit per couple (0720229351). Once I get your confirmations (names via text) I will confirm the date, place and time.

Couples fee Ksh3,500

Workshop will tackle:

How to reignite communication

How to sustain communication

How to avoid a predicable relationship

How to address each other without fear of judgement

How to handle external influences

How to maintain / sustain an enjoyable sex life

How to balance your relationship with work

I will also appreciate your feedback on venue, Gracia Gardens in Kilimani is a great venue however some of you had concerns with the venue not being easily accessible, would you prefer a venue in town?

YOUR FEEDBACK BY 6th JULY WILL BE APPRECIATED.

Dear Maurice,                                      

I have been married for 10 years; it will be 11 years later this year in August. My husband and I have 4 kids. I am 38 and he is 45.

The reason why I seek your help is because my marriage for the last 2 years has been with bars between myself and my husband.

Maurice asks,

What do you mean by bars between you?

She replies,

Four year ago my husband was involved in a company scandal where a substantial about of money vanished. He was not one of the lucky ones. He and others were convicted and he specifically was sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Maurice asks,

How can I help in this scenario?

She replies,

Well,

I have been living a lie with my family, telling my kids that their father is abroad. It was easier to maintain the story but now questions are being raised, like why they can’t talk to their daddy on phone or via skype.

Maurice replies,

So what has been your cover story regarding the lack of communication with their father?

She replies,

I have told them that their father is in a very remote place and that they will later this year be able to talk to him once he arrives to a destination where he can access communication devices. I am ashamed of our situation, it’s so hard to live like this but at the same time I don’t want our children to see their father as a convict. If it got out in our community and at school I am sure the children would be victimized.

Maurice replies,

I can only imagine what you are going through however I still don’t see how I can be of assistance?

She replies,

Apart from my children, I want to survive his prison term and continue to be his wife however he has told me that he can’t live with the guilt of what he was involved in so he wants a divorce. Since his sentencing I have been a loyal dedicated wife, visiting him and making sure that he is well treated behind bars. How can he after 2 years just decide that he wants to walk away from our marriage? I have supported him by his side over the years and forgiven him. All I want is my family back together. To make things worse he has confessed to having a 7 year affair and having a child with another woman. Despite all that I still stand by him and I will do anything to maintain the family togetherness.

Maurice asks,

Is your husband wanting to leave you for his mistress or is the guilt the primary reason?

She replies,

He says that he feels for her but he is not in-love with her. As per what he has told me he has not been in-touch with her since his imprisonment. How true that is I really don’t know. What I do know for a fact is that I put my heart and soul into this marriage. When I met my husband 16 years ago it was for keeps. It was to be him till death do us part. I know you counsel couples so I would like you to counsel us through letters to him to explain to him how much he means to me. How much the kids miss him. Honesty I don’t know how you will go about it but I urge you to try and help save my marriage.

Maurice replies,

My dear it’s clear you will go to any length to save your marriage and I would love to help you however I can only do so once your husband is released. No amount of communication via mail will allow me to truly assess his true feelings. Our dialogue has to be face to face and a prison visit or visits is not a viable option either.

It is also important that you prepare yourself for the worst scenario, apart from guilt, incarceration in itself has been known to change men, for now I can only speculate and go by studies that have documented psychological changes in some inmates. The future and eventuality of your marriage will only be determined by the events that follow once your husband is a free man.

Dear Maurice,

I am a 27 year old woman with 3 kids, my youngest is now just over one year old. I have been married to a very loving dedicated man for 6 years now. In the last year our sex life has changed and is declining fast. I really need your help to find out what is going on with me?

Maurice asks,

So you have isolated the issue to be stemming from you and if so how do you feel about yourself as a woman?

She replies,

I know for a fact that I have gained weight to be precise I have gain 6 kilos. I hate it, I hate how I look and I hate letting myself go to this extent. I can’t even undress next to my husband I have to hide in the bathroom and put on a robe before we sleep. Before I could easily change in-front of him and I felt sexy, that is now no longer the case.

Maurice asks,

What do you see when you look into the mirror?

She replies,

Maurice I see an ugly woman, I see an over weight woman. I am even afraid to look at myself because every day I feel like I am adding more and more weigh.

Maurice asks,

What does your husband see if at all he shares with you?

She replies,

My husband is sweet and very attentive. He keeps trying to remind me that I am sexy and he does his best to make me feel good about myself but at the back of my mind I’m wondering if he is doing it just to please me, I know it’s wrong to question him as my husband but I can’t help it.

Maurice replies,

So you started to feel less sexy when your third child was born. What was so significant about the third compared to the other times you gave birth?

She replies,

I don’t know but something I can’t explain just click in my head and I begun to doubt how I look. My girl friends are no help they keep telling me that I have added weigh and it hurts but I don’t show it. To me they have a point; they are trim and proper where as I am over weigh.

Maurice replies,

My dear let me tell you this for a fact. It’s all in your mind and no amount of acknowledgement from your husband will fix your mental out look, only you can look within yourself and start to tell yourself that yes you may have added weight but you are still sexy and secondly your husband the man you married finds you sexy that should count for something.

I know it’s easier said than done but you must be strong willed to convince and remind yourself that you are sexy.

Oh, never ever listen to your girlfriends, especially regarding your body, other women have never been known to have anything positive to contribute other than tell you the obvious which is not encouraging. If hitting the gym has crossed your mind, that’s more a long term solution which in most cases should become a lifestyle rather than a one of two months affair. First things first, feel good about yourself ‘as you are’.

Take note, men love a confident woman, so please do not show your husband that you have a complex about your body. He will attempt to help you feel good about yourself but over time if you persist to continue thinking you are not sexy yet he says you are he will eventually lose the strength to affirm your beauty. A confident woman regardless of her body size is like a beacon oozing sexiness, like honey oozed out of a comb ‘the thought itself makes a man’s mouth go dry’, if you get my drift.

It’s time you went out there and pampered yourself with a few feel good treats, buy some kinky lingerie and wear it proudly and show it off to your husband and keep telling yourself you are a mother of 3 and that you are sexy. Motherhood does not decline your look unless you self inflict or believe that you are not sexy. Like I said, it’s all in the mind. Change your mind set within the next few months and experience a new you that your husband will automatically notice and shower you will words of encouragement, the actions will accompany the words.

Dear Maurice,    

I need you to tell me if I am wrong or right. I have been married for 7 months now. I am 27 and my hubby is 30. We both work but I expect him to cater for the bills and house keep after all that is his duty as a man. Since we got married the policy in the house, created by him, has been that I pay for the utility bills and he takes care of the rent. Personally I am not happy with the status quo. I am his wife he should be willing to provide fully in our home. What will happen when we have kids, will he ask for me to pay half the maintenance and school fees? I was brought up knowing that the man of the house pays for everything and that should be the case.

Maurice asks,

For how long did you date and while you were dating did you discuss your financial expectations of each other before you got married?

She replies,

We knew each other for 2 years before we got married. In that time we did discuss marriage but not the financial aspects because as I have said I thought it was obvious who would provide for the other.

Maurice replies,

Have you voiced your concern?

She replies,

Yes I have, it’s become a reason for us to quarrel almost every week. He says that a marriage in his view is about sharing and that what he has committed to paying far out weighs what I contribute so I should not complain. I am seriously worried for our kids if this is his attitude.

Maurice replies,

Apart from the utility bills which I am assuming is your electricity and water, do you pay for anything else?

She replies,

I only pay for those. Are you saying that my husband is right?

Maurice replies,

It’s not about right or wrong it’s about what is logical to maintain harmony within your young marriage. I believe when your husband is ready he may pay for the utility bills but are these bills worth creating a rift between you and your husband, you have only been married for 7 months, will it hurt you to continue paying for the utility bills. I’m assuming your husband is providing for you in many ways apart from financial. If so, can you concentrate at the bigger picture and work on loving each other rather than arguing over a trivial matter. However it is up to you, if you feel that you must win this battle you must also take on-bound the fact that your husband will eventually start to feel unappreciated for what he already does and whether he finally accepts your demands or not his worthiness in the marriage will wither as time goes by. Trust me; you do not want a husband who believes his only job is to provide because you will have killed everything else that attracted him to you.

She replies,

I understand what you are saying though I must ask, is it normal for your husband to avoid the topic of income?

Maurice replies,

Only the two of you can agree on disclosing that information. Not all people are comfortable disclosing what they really earn whether married or not. Again, and I urge you; please do not make finance the back bone of your marriage because over time it will hurt your marriage.

My professional opinion is that marriage is between two people who ‘hopefully’ care and love each other. A man who pays the bills is not necessarily a loving man, paying bills has never defined a real man, that is just dependent on the society you live in.

I strongly advise all couples who ‘allege’ to be committed to each other to consider that we live in hard financial times and sharing is not a crime neither does it reflect on how you feel about each other.

Mutual partnership is key to the survival of relationships today. Seek to maintain a relationship foundation that is based on your simple human ability to love and care for another human being unconditionally. If you apply that mind set first let all other things that you do for each other be a bonus.

Dear Maurice,                                                                                            

I am 41 years old and I have been married for 2 years. Though I was married  before to my first husband who past on 8 years ago. We were very much in-love and were married for 5 years before his life was cut short in a car accident. I met my current husband at a work’s function 3 years ago and we started to court and eventually dated then got married.  I had been lonely for many years so when this charming man came into my life I embraced him with open arms with no hesitation.

Maurice asks,

So you found love again?

She replies,

I don’t know what I found, our first year and a few months were exciting but I would always compare him to my late husband. I was swept off my feet but the question I ask myself was if I was trying to replace my husband, of late memories of my past have started to affect my current marriage. At times I lock myself in a room at work and at home and cry over and over trying to make sense of my erratic feelings. I don’t want to forget my late husband and at the same time I owe it to my current husband to give him all my attention and love.

Maurice asks,

From what I’m hearing you never really had any form of closure with your late passing away the way he did. It can’t be easy to lose a loved one ‘a husband’ and to move on but you must consider the negative effects on your current husband. If he hasn’t notice already he will soon and he may not be willing to understand that you still mourn your late. Has your husband done anything to trigger memories of your past life?

She replies,

I don’t know if I am asking for a lot but my husband is never home as often as I would like him to be. He and my late are very different. My husband loves his social life and before we got wed we promised each other that we wouldn’t try and change each other but seeing him for the few hours I see him over the week and weekend is not enough for me. We both work and sometimes till late however my husband will pass through the local before coming home which is normally between 8pm and 10pm. When he gets home we hardly have time to catch up before we head to bed. We are not having a marriage but an existence, that’s my sentiment. How do I change his ways despite our promise to each other?

Maurice replies,

What you are saying is in comparison to your late your current is not as committed to paying you attention as you were once used to and that you haven’t voiced your concern regarding your quality time as man and wife?

She replies,

I feel short changed, he knows what I went through when my first husband died, always contemplating whether I will ever get married again and if I will ever find a man who cares and loves me the way I was once loved. It’s hard and I fear to fail in this relationship.

Maurice asks,

Do you have kids from your first marriage and are you in-love right now?

She replies,

Unfortunately we never got the chance to start a family, something I regret every day. I would have loved to have a piece of him but that was not meant to be. I’m I in-love? Well, I want to be so badly but my husband’s behavior and priorities make me wonder if I made a mistake remarrying.  Oh, I forgot to mention that my husband is 4 years my junior while my late was 6 years my senior. Is my husband’s maturity one of my issues? I just don’t know where I’m heading.

Maurice replies,

You need to be strong and objective and irrespective of some promise to each other you need to confront the issues you have with your husband. Marriage without partnership, team work and a strong connection is no marriage but a state of convenience.  You need to rationally address the issue one by one, once he is aware of your concerns give him space to digest the information and be patient with him. Also voice out your expectations without demanding for them, if your man genuinely cares about you he will put things into motion and in time you should witness a positive change within your home.

Dear Maurice,

My husband is a typical African man; we have been together inclusive of dating for 7 years. In July it will be our fourth anniversary if he remembers this year that is.

Maurice asks,

Before you continue may I assume you take your husband for who he is?

She replies,

Yes I do, it’s not easy living with a man who pretends not to know where the kitchen is and he has never washed a dish in our home.

Maurice asks,

What attracted you to his unorthodox character?

She replies,

I guess it was his way with words, how he treated me like a lady from the beginning and still does but I can’t stand how he eats in-front of people. I don’t mind when we are in our home but when we are in public I expect him to eat in a manner that a man of his statue ought to eat. It’s like eating next to an animal.

Maurice asks,

In the last year or so has your lifestyle changed, if I may, are your pockets deeper than when you first met?

She replies,

I don’t see how that is your business but I will say that our life style has been upgraded.

Maurice comments,

For me to deduce where the real issue is I must ask uncomfortable questions otherwise I will be doing you a disservice, forgive me for intruding. However, I can bet that your new life has changed your mind set towards your husband. You started by describing your man as a typical African. The only woman who does that is one that accepted her man as he is. You then implied he forgets your special day, but it’s more a remark rather than a complaint. Finally you contradicted your persona towards your husband by saying that you ‘expect’ him to have some form of etiquette, you didn’t use that word but that’s what you meant. My advise to you my dear is you have taken your man on a long 6 year journey, taken his flaws, his traditional believes, may I remind you that you embraced his personality and walked up an aisle and said I do. I am only speculating but I feel your husband may have embarrassed you, more than once, at functions that meant something to you, would I be right?

She replies,

Yes he has and he refused to apologise when we get home, especially after the latest one. We never make a scene in public but I expected an apology after he did not excuse himself from the table and let one off. He then proceeded to eat as if he had done nothing; his only comment was “all humans do it”, a few people found it amusing but for me it was disrespectful and disgusting. Some of those that attended were senior work colleagues. I am trying to climb the ladder at work so we have been attending functions together but I don’t need the embarrassment. I know I accepted him for the man he is but can’t he be considerate and excuse himself in such a scenario. What do you tell a man who tells you that all people remove bowel gases and an apology is out of the question because it’s a natural bodily reaction.

Maurice,

This is what you do. Sit down with you husband, tell him that you have for years accepted him for who he is but you would like him to excuse himself so that he can FedEx his bowel gases in private. Your husband sounds stubborn but you know him better and I’m sure you can positively manipulate him to believe that you admire his character, however because he ‘naturally’ wants to see you happy and excel if he can avoid the acts that irritate you in public. And if he does there’s going to be a ‘surprise’ for him, get creative, you know what he likes about you.

Men most of the time need to be lured (guided) or tricked to get your way or to get something done, just like training a dog, if the dog finally performs as instructed it receives a cookie.  You know your hubby so create a formula that works for you and apply as part of your lifestyle, let it not be a one off, if your husband is responsive you will witness changes over time.