esteem or rottenness

"A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is an rottenness in his bones." Proverbs 12:4

Crowns are something one wears with pride and esteem--not the sinful sort of pride, but the pride of contentment and being pleased. I would like to think my husband esteems and is pleased with me.Sadly, there are times, when I don't give him reason to esteem me, when I am rottenness. Temper tantrums and other poor behaviors come to mind. Preferring times of esteem and contentment, I'm a lot more careful now to behave like a lady, attempting to emulate the Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 women.

Some women read these verses as a way to put women in subjection to men. I don't. First, LDS-Christian women are taught that a marriage is an equal partnership between men and women. Speaking of the relationship he had with his then dying wife of 67 year, Gordon B. Hinckley said. "We've walked together side by side through all of these years, coequals and companions through storm and sunshine."

That statement had great impact on me in April of 2004 and still works on my mind--coequals and companions. Certainly women are to obey their husbands in righteousness, but a righteous man would not seek dominion over anyone. He would be as Jesus, meek, quiet, and full of charity. Likewise a righteous woman would not seek to dominate anyone either. If all couples walked together as the Hinckley's in meekness and charity, wouldn't the world be a more peaceful place to live? We would see less divorce, abuse of all varieties, homelessness, poverty, and all other ills associated with following the wrong master. Possibly if we would stop seeking companionship were it will never fulfill, we could build the most fabulous society ever known to man. Happy families are the foundation of a strong society. Strong marriages are the largest if only factor in building a great family.