Hey Dad,

Have you ever noticed that women think differently than men? Of course you have. What I didn't know is that apparently some women match their underwear with the blouse they're wearing. Not long ago, I noticed that … uh … a certain woman I'm married to was getting dressed and her celery green shirt and … uh … her "underclothes" matched.

"Hey, Babe," I said casually, "You match."

Without turning, she said matter-of-factly, "I know."

"Are you kidding me? You mean you actually pick out … uh … undergarments to match the shirt you're wearing?"

"Yep, sometimes."

I must have been laughing about my discovery as I walked out of our bedroom because my daughter asked me why I was laughing. "Did you know mom tries to coordinate her underwear and shirt?" I asked, expecting her to laugh as well … but she didn't.

She looked at me strangely and said, "So do I."

I was stunned. It was obviously a girl thing because I've never even thought about matching my underwear to anything. I can't even fathom why I would.

A few days later, my wife and I were in the airport and this rather large woman bent over in front of me showing the whole world her undergarments. I turned my head away quickly, but not before I noticed that her understuff matched her bright pink shirt exactly. "It must be universal," I thought.

Since then, I've been thinking about the "coordinating underwear theory" (or CUT) and have transferred it to other areas of different thinking between husbands and wives … particularly between my wife and me. Maybe some of the conflicts that arise over the temperature of our house, our priority lists, and the reason she gets overwhelmed more easily than I do is because we just think differently.

But here's the kicker: God wants me to understand those differences and adjust my way of living accordingly. So, if she likes the thermostat set higher (even with escalating fuel prices), I can show my wife I love her by setting the thermostat higher. If she thinks our relationship stinks, and I think otherwise, I prove my love to her by talking to her about our relationship. I love my wife by making her priorities my priorities.

Why? Because of the "coordinating underwear theory." So show your wife how much you love her today by adjusting your "normal" thinking. You know what you need to do.

Oh yeah, and ask her about the "CUT"

You 'da dad!

P.S.: Watch next week for a Familyman commercial about how you can purchase 365 days of familyman fun, quotes, and tips. It's called the You 'Da Dad daily calendar, and it's on sale now! To sneak a peek, go to http://familymanweb.com/dailycalendar.htm

© Copyright 2005 Todd Wilson. Used by permission.

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