Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes and in that book he admits to trying his hand at just about everything. Solomon makes this kind of statement several times in Ecclesiastes. "Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage." (Ecclesiastes 5:18 (NKJV))

I am convinced that God fully intended for mankind to thoroughly enjoy the life that He gave us. What could be black, white, and gray is full of millions of colors, textures, fragrances, shapes, and flavors. God has given us a wide variety of foods to eat, which if prepared properly can be a thing of joy. Roses and daisies, to see and smell, steak and pumpkin pie to smell and taste, Dog and cats to play with and other people to relate to. God has given all of these things to give life enjoyment and delight.

One thing God gave us was other people. People to relate to. People to love and be loved by. People to help us along the way. People to connect with.

And yet, so many of us live lives of quiet desperation, hoping, wishing and dreaming of someone to truly relate to.

Relationships are falling apart and marriages are failing because we do not have the slightest notion of the basic and fundamental characteristic of the others with which we want to have an intimate relationship.

Everyone needs three things in order for a fulfilling relationship to exist. Dr. Laura Schlessenger calls these her triple A’s. Acceptance, Affirmation, and Affection. Men need the three A’s. Women need the three A’s. Children need the three A’s. But what we perceive to be Acceptance, Affirmation, and Affection for a man is not perceived the same way for a woman.

Men, women are not misshapen men, they are women. Men must learn what it is like being a woman. I don’t mean to change places with the wife or girlfriend, I mean finds out how a woman relates to the world. What she perceives as her three A’s. What she may be sensitive to and about. What intimacy is to a woman. Most men would be surprised to learn the answers to these questions and surprised to learn just how complex a woman is.

Ladies, a man is not the savage brute the media has tried to convince you that he is. Women must learn what it is like to be a man. Again, I don’t mean switching places, I mean find out how a man relates to the world. What he perceives his three A’s are. What he may be sensitive to and about. What intimacy is to a man. Most women would be astounded to learn just how simple a man really is.

There are many excellent resources available to help us to learn what it is like to be of the opposite sex. I’m not trying to sell any particular resource. However, I have found that Dr. Gary Smalley’s taped series, Love Is a decision, is an excellent resource to help men and women learn about one another. Dr. Barbara De Angelis’ book, What Women Want Men to Know, is a excellent guide to beginning to understand women. I also believe that Dr. Schlessinger’s book, The Proper care and Feeding of Husbands, is an excellent resource for women to learn about men.

There are many excellent resources on the Internet, but one must be careful, some are erroneous and will give you bad advice. One thing I have found, is that Cosmopolitan and Red Book and other check out stand publications and Playboy and other men’s publications are a very poor source of good advice and information.