[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by Schaumburger

My parents had a very traditional 1950's marriage. They were married from 1957 to 1997 when my mom passed away. Dad worked; mom was a housewife. I do agree that most people of their generation did take the "till death do us part" vow more seriously than my generation did/does. And my father was definitely the decision maker and paid the bills (although he always consulted my mom). I have been supporting myself for so long now, I could not imagine asking a husband for "permission" to buy something as my mom thought she had to ask permission from my dad before she bought something. Don't get me wrong, I love my Dad, but "Father Knows Best" could have been filmed at my parents' home.

A few years before my mom passed away, I called her around 5:30. She said, "I can't talk now, your father expects his dinner at 6:00." I asked her if the kitchen was going to vaporize and disappear if dinner was not on the table at 6:00. My generation just takes a different view of marriage and the roles of men and women...

It seems to me your father was doing his job and your mom was doing hers. He went to work, probably on time or he could not have kept his job, worked hard all day long, and returned home on time rather than hit the bars with the boys. She wanted to have his dinner prepared and ready for him on time when he arrived home tired and hungry. They were probably a loving couple sharing the work load as they saw fit. That is how my parents did it, too.