MEET MALIK
Malik, a husband, father, busy-with-a-career and student paused when the question was posed:
“What does balancing acts look like in your life as a man?”
Malik: It’s difficult because everything falls on the husband/man of the house. There is a balance of work, home and anything extra (church, community, school, etc.) and as the leader, you feel more than obligated to be available in each area. I think men see things more logically than women [most of the time], we deal with issues that may arise at work but once I leave work, I go home and have to balance three different personalities, that of my wife and my two daughters. If they’ve had a rough day, I may not bring up what I experienced at work that day. Instead, I’m in a listening mode so that I can offer comfort to them about their experience. Men are often looked to for guidance so you have to be prepared to assist and at times, that’s putting your immediate needs aside.
It’s important to note that, Malik, much like the other men that I spoke with, is quite traditional when it comes to taking care of his home and takes great pride in it, actually.
He believes that the majority of home expenses (i.e. mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc.) should be provided by him unless there is some critical circumstance requiring the assistance of his wife in those specified costs. She indeed is a contributor to their home both financially and emotionally, however, he desires to be the sole provider for his family as long as he is able to be and does it with a cheerful heart.
Which brings me to Paul, who shares these sentiments and is the budget extraordinaire.
