Let Me Cater To You.. Or At Least Fix Your Plate?

So I took my boyfriend with me to the family gathering in honor of my paternal grandparents. My grandparents were married for 69 years before they passed away only two weeks apart. This is indeed the kind of love that every girl dreams about so I thought that it would be fitting to bring along my boyfriend. Now I know that my family is very traditional, but I received a true southern belle lesson when it came time to grub. Like any other Southern family gathering there was plenty of food to go around. Chicken, fried fish, potato salad, mac’ n cheese, cakes, pies, and any other entrée that you could think of was on the menu for the family gathering. The older family members announced that the food was ready, and my boyfriend and I got in line to pile up our plates. My older aunt spotted the both of us in line and told me, “Aren’t you going to fix your man a plate?!” Wow! I laughed it off… until I realized that she was serious. EEK! I quickly made his plate while he sat smirking at me. And in my true fashion, I couldn’t resist giving him a little nasty look back. This sparked a dinner conversation among the ladies of the family. The older generations are used to fixing their significant others’ plates and the younger generations believe that the man can do it himself. Well I guess that I’m a mix of old fashioned and new school. Most times when I cook, I prefer to fix my boyfriend’s plate. Yet, I still think that he is more than able to do it himself if I’m not cooking or there are leftovers. Even though the older ladies in my family may be viewed as extreme by younger generations, there is still a lesson that young gals can use. Making a plate for your  husband, boyfriend, or even your “boo thang” is a metaphor that describes catering to your man.

I think that every woman in a relationship or dating should do nice things for their significant other. The saying goes “what you won’t do, another woman will.” However, I feel that a girl should only cater to her man within her comfort level. I don’t believe that a woman should run around like Kelly on The Game, circa Season 1 or 2. I think that it should be based on how a woman feels. If you think that you are doing too much, then you probably are. Only do what you feel comfortable doing, but make sure that you are doing enough! Another lesson that I learned is that every relationship is not the same. I mean, if your friend feels ok with tucking her boo in at night then whatever floats her boat! Lol It’s what works for each relationship. There are so many ways to cater to a man. If he likes pizza & wings when he watches the playoff games then it doesn’t hurt to make sure he has his favorite foods. Now if he wants foot massages after a sweaty game of basketball then umm.. maybe buy him a small foot spa. It all boils down to this: catering to your man doesn’t have to be extravagant at all times, but make sure to at least make that effort.

Southern belle lesson learned: Fix that plate!