“Is this all?”

Photo by Mysi

Each suburban wife struggles with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, matched slipcover material, ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, chauffeured Cub Scouts and Brownies, lay beside her husband at night — she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question — “Is this all?”

— Betty Friedan (The Feminine Mystique)

Since then, millions of women have entered the workforce. I wonder if they’ve discovered what millions of men have known for centuries:

Each working husband struggles with this alone. As he made his sales quota, shopped for office supplies, matched the new brochure to the corporate colors, ate lunch with his co-workers, chauffeured Clients and VPs, sits at his desk at day’s end — he was afraid to ask even of himself the silent question — “Is this all?”

— John Tabita (The Masculine Mystique)*

* Not a real book

The Other Psalm 91

“Welcome Home.” Photo by The U.S. Army

Psalm 91 is often referred to as “the Soldier’s Psalm” because of its promise of protection. But it’s not the only one to do so:

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
  where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
  the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
  he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
  will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
  the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
  nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
  he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
  both now and forevermore.