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The best among you

“The best among you is one who is best to his wife”.

Women shoulder immense responsibility. So many facets of life, they try and balance. Their efforts often go unacknowledged, and even unseen. Without their support, we would crumble, not only as individuals, even as a society. Man and woman were created from one another. They strengthen one another. They balance one another.

I believe the temperament of society can only be in balance when the gentler traits of women offset the coarser traits of men. Arrogance balanced by humility. Egoism balanced by selflessness. Rigidity balanced by flexibility. Aggression balanced by softness. Inattention balanced by attention. This is not to say that all men have such traits, nor to say that all women have the opposite. Rather, it is an appreciation that any individual who wishes to do better, to transform self, must foster an alignment that is different to their own. Often for men, this means to embrace characteristics more often found in women.

Women are frequently over-burdened. We can help remove some of their burden, by taking their load, by carrying our own. We can give them a chance to be free of this burden, so they may rejoice and sing. We can help them reclaim their lost time, so they can embrace the beauty of this world, so they may glide without restraint just as these hummingbirds do. Even our greatest burden can be less than their common burden. Similarly, our greatest pain may be less than their common pain. We may not appreciate, and seldom do we see, their underlying struggle.

Towards your wife, partner or girlfriend, be gentle. Be kind. Be supportive. Be attentive. Be present. Never shout. Never raise your finger. Give utmost respect. Do not judge. Do not objectify. Do not harm. Towards all women, do the same.

If we seek to do well in this life and the hereafter, we must raise our standards in the treatment of women. We must stand up for them. We must be there for them. We must support them. We must help to relieve them of their immense burden. We must acknowledge them. We must follow them.

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