I have heard it said that…Behind every great man is a great woman.

I've also heard the argument that this phrase better reads…Beside every great man is a great woman.

Whichever statement you prefer, I think there is true wisdom in this concept. Not because I feel that men need women to be great, but because I do believe that being part of a couple does indeed make you better. When you get married you are oftentimes better because of your partner.

I think the truth in this phrase lies in the underlying stages of relationship development.

When I met my husband, he was living quite happily.............

• He hung out in the same bar, with the same 2 buddies virtually every night
• He chose between 3 food items and never strayed from this diet
• His wardrobe rotation included 2 lonely pairs of jeans
• He wore white socks with his black sneakers (UGH!)
• He claimed to "not eat seafood" (although he had never tried most of it)
• He barely knew the difference between a hammer & a screwdriver

Oh my, what a "project" he was for the right woman!

I say project, because as a young man, he hadn't learned that he could do more and be more. He didn't realize he was selling himself short.

And this is the crux of my earlier statement: That great men are great because...they have the gentle nudging, never settling, always look better, always be better, love of a woman.

There's nothing like knowing someone is always behind you (or beside you) to push you to try new things and to improve upon yourself. And, in case you're wondering… these improvements didn't just come in the form of more stylish attire (although that was icing on the cake!). I mean who knew that when introduced to new things, my hubby would become a sushi fanatic, discover he actually likes pickles, gladly own 6 pairs of shoes and even successfully tackle home renovation.

We often joke that when I came into his life I completely "burst his bubble"….

My position: I opened up his sheltered, boring world to new opportunities and options.

His position: Ignorance was bliss.