DEAR ABBY: I was raised in an old-fashioned home. I was taught to sew and cook and be a worthy wife and mother. I cooked and fed my family wholesome meals.
Unfortunately, one of my sons ("Tom" -- not his real name) married a woman who never cooks. She waits until Tom comes home after a hard day's work at the office, then she sends him out to some fast-food place to pick up their evening meal. This is not just occasionally; this is every night of the week except when they go out to eat. I invite them to my home for dinner as often as I can.
Tom is a good husband and father. He doesn't drink, smoke or gamble. He's a good provider and allows his wife to stay home and not work.
My question is, why aren't mothers these days preparing their daughters for marriage? Don't you think men should consider this a requisite when courting? It could save marriages. -- OLD-FASHIONED AND GLAD OF IT
DEAR OLD-FASHIONED: You and I are a generation apart from your son and his wife, so it would be easy for me to agree with you.
However, these days it takes more than talent in the kitchen to make a marriage work. I find it telling that your son is not the family member who is complaining. As long as he has you, I'm betting neither he nor his wife will learn to cook.