A few months ago (around Valentine's Day) as I was leaving the grocery store I rounded the corner from the check stands toward my exit and off to the left was the jewelry department.
Diamond rings, earrings, pendants... you know lots of pretty things. Then there was a pair of mannequins set up with t-shirts that read
{Happy Wife Happy Life}
Happy Wife. Happy Life.
My first thought was
"That's funny!"

My second thought was
"Wait, what?!"
I know to many people this simple statement seems harmless and some would even say it encourages little romances within relationships...
Happy Wife. Happy Life.
I say {It's a fiiiiiine line} One that can be a sweet gesture to romance your lady
OR
A way of buying her off.
Would I LOVE for my husband to come home with roses and pretties for me? Would that make me happy?
Uh... {DUH!} {p.s. it would ALSO make me broke!}
But do I NEED him to come home with roses and pretties for me still be happy and joyfully meet the needs of my husband and children?
Thaaat would be a {NEGATORY}
Now before you get bent out of shape and think I'm saying it's wrong to get/give gifts
I'm not. I promise. 
What I'm trying {hoping} to get across is that our life's happiness shouldn't, and dare I say, CAN'T be reliant on the material {pretties} that our significant other's may or may not come home with. 
If you expect a gift and don't get it there tends to be bitterness.
If you expect a gift and do get it there tends to be a desire for more.
If you're expected to deliver and don't there tends to be feelings of inadequacy.
If you're expected to deliver and do there tends to be pressure to out do yourself. 
Do we see the vicious cycle?
We're always left needing/wanting {MORE}.

More what?
More {stuff}
Happy Wife?
Not-so Happy Life?
Matthew 6:19-21 19"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in a steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
In an age of fast paced lives and so many distractions let your TIME be your gift. 
Let your TIME be the treasure that you bestow on those that you love.
Give the gift of uninterrupted one on one face to face hand holding TIME.
Pretties are nice,  but if I never see my husband and my children don't know love and affection pretties are just chunks of junk with no meaning. 
Time is a gift that can really only be stolen by the person who has it.  Give it.  'Til you're ALL OUT OF IT.