success story

One of my favorite success stories in the book is about appreciation. Here it is in entirety:

"There was a woman in our neighborhood who had everyone puzzled. She was not beautiful, was overweight, and always dressed a little dowdy. There wasn't anything about her that was above average, at least not that anyone could see on the surface, yet her husband seemed to adore her. What on earth was it? This had everyone wondering.

"One evening I was in their home about dinnertime. She was busy in the kitchen putting the final touches on the dinner when her husband came home from work. This happened to be payday. He came into the kitchen, kissed her, and handed her his paycheck. She immediately stopped what she was doing, put her arms around him and said, 'I know how hard you have worked for this . . . how many long hours. Thank you for providing us with so many comforts, and making it possible for me to stay home and care for the family.'

"But this was not enough. She went into the living room where the children were all playing on the floor. She made them all stop and stand up. 'Look,' she said as she held up the paycheck. 'See, your father has worked hard to earn this money. Now, Jane, this means you can have a new pair of shoes, and Johnny, you can have your bicycle fixed.' The father stood there beaming. Not only did his wife appreciate him, but taught their children to. In his eyes, she was a beautiful woman.

"I'm not sure she did this every payday, but I know that here was a home where the man was appreciated for his daily efforts. And I know that this ordinary woman was not so ordinary. She knew how to appreciate a man and this is why she was beautiful to him."

~ Fascinating Womanhood, Success Story, What Does He See In Her, Chapter 4