In a relationship, sometimes you wish there was a tactful, helpful, and non-confrontational way to tell your partner exactly what you need from them.

It turns out there is a way, and it’s been hiding right under our noses for decades: The humble Powerpoint presentation.

In viral skit, wife makes instructional presentation for golfing husband

The Dashleys—that is, husband and wife Dallin and Ashley—seem to really have their pulse on modern marriage. They’ve racked up nearly half a million followers on Instagram alone with extremely relatable and hilarious Reels that perfectly capture the universal frustrations people have with their partners.

Charmingly, it’s all done with care, love, and a lot of laughs that help soften the blow.

Recently, Ashley took some time to prepare a little slideshow for her husband on something that had been bugging her: how he came home from a round of golf with friends.

“So you got home from golfing… now what?” the opening slide read.

“What is this? he asks.

“This is to help you golf more, without me getting annoyed,” she responds.

Covered topics include coming home tired or cranky from a bad round. “At this point, the hobby that is supposed to uplift you, has made you tired and extremely grouchy,” she writes.

The next slide covers what Ashley would like to hear when her husband walks through the door, featuring, “I missed you guys!!” and “What are we going to do today??”

Finally, she asks him to devote a short monologue to memory, expressing his gratitude: “Thank you so much … is there anything that you need to do for yourself that I can facilitate now that I’m home? …My cup is full and boy did I ever have fun. Let’s make a plan and have the best day ever.”

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The skit is tongue-in-cheek, but has commenters nodding along in recognition

All people in partnered relationships, even busy parents, deserve a little time to fill their own cup with hobbies they enjoy. That usually involves the other partner picking up the slack with the household and the kids; a trade-off many partners willingly make for one another.

But men who golf on the weekends, at three to five hours per round in particular, seems to be a source of great frustration for many women who are left holding the bag.

The Dashleys’ video racked up over a million views and tons of comments:

“Oh so this is a universal experience”

“Can we buy this PowerPoint presentation from you? I’d like to preset it to my husband”

“Golf has to be up there as the most selfish hobby that ever existed”

One commenter, in particular, did not hold back: “Mine actually does come home and go ‘what are we doing today????’ And nothing irks me more. Sir you’ve been gone from 6a-1p. Kids got up at 6:13a we did breakfast and I put in laundry, then walked/scootered to get me coffee and the girls got cake pops, then the nature center, then 2 different playgrounds, lunch, backyard crafts, and the 4 year old watered the inside plants so I had to clean, I’ve also done two loads of laundry and tidied so you don’t come back to a disaster because I’m considerate. You will be taking the kids out and leaving me alone now byeeeeee “

It’s no bias against golf: many women chimed in to note that other “husband hobbies” like cycling or hunting should require similar rules.

The Gender Equity Policy Institute describes the “free-time gender gap,” like this: “Across every group studied, men spend more time than women socializing, watching sports or playing video games, or doing similar activities to relax or have fun.  …The group with the least amount of free time is 35- to 44-year-old women. Men their age have a full hour per day more free time, and the free-time gender gap is near its peak at this time of life. “

Joke presentation gives serious ideas for how to communicate

A few observant commenters picked up on the fact that, while the video is a skit and the presentation isn’t meant to be taken literally, these are the kinds of conversations couples should be having with each other.

While being the clueless “golfing husband” who doesn’t do his share with the house and kids is a recipe for disaster, so is resentment without communication.

The Dashleys had a similar hit video about “What mom doesn’t want for mothers day.” It’s hilarious, but also full of helpful insights that couples should be sharing regularly.

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One commenter summed the golf presentation up perfectly: “All jokes aside, this is an amazing way to ask your partner for what you want while supporting each other as individuals!”

While a bottle of bubbles might seem out of place in a hospital setting, you might be surprised to learn that, for thousands of children around the world born with cleft lip and palate, they can be a helpful tool in comprehensive cleft care. Lilia, who was born with cleft lip and palate in 2020, is one of the many patients who received this care. 

As a toddler, Lilia underwent two surgeries to treat cleft lip and palate with Operation Smile’s surgical program in Puebla, Mexico. Because of Operation Smile’s comprehensive care, it wasn’t long before her personality transformed: Lilia went from a quiet and withdrawn toddler to an exuberant, curious explorer, babbling, expressing herself with a variety of sounds, and engaging with others like any child her age. 

Lilia is now a healthy five-year-old, with the same cheerful attitude and boundless energy. Her progress is the result of care at every level, from surgery to speech therapy to ongoing support at home—but it’s also evidence that small, sustained interventions throughout it all can make a meaningful difference. 

Cleft Conditions: A Global Problem

Since 1982, Operation Smile has provided cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to more than 500,000 patients worldwide with the help of generous volunteers and donors. Cleft conditions are congenital conditions, meaning they are present at birth. With cleft lip and palate, the lip or the roof of the mouth do not form fully during fetal development. Cleft conditions put children at risk for malnutrition and poor weight gain, since their facial structure can make feeding challenging. But cleft conditions can have an enormous social impact as well: Common difficulties with speech can leave kids socially isolated and unable to meet the same developmental milestones as their peers. 

Surgery is a vital step in treating cleft conditions, but it’s also just one part of a much larger solution. Organizations like Operation Smile emphasize the importance of multi-disciplinary teams that provide comprehensive, long-term care to patients across many years. This approach, which includes oral care, speech therapy, nutritional support, and psychosocial care, not only aids in physical recovery from surgery but also helps children develop the skills and confidence to eat easily, speak clearly, and engage in everyday life. This ensures that each patient receives the full range of support they need to thrive. 

A Playful (and Powerful) Solution

Throughout a patient’s care, simple tools like bubbles can play a meaningful role from start to finish. 

Immediately before surgery, children are often in a new and unfamiliar environment far from home, some of them experiencing a hospital setting for the first time. When care providers or loved ones blow bubbles, it’s a simple yet effective technique: Not only are the children soothed and distracted, the bubbles also help create a sense of joy and playfulness that eases their anxiety. 

In speech therapy, bubbles can take on an even more important role. Blowing bubbles requires controlled airflow, as well as the ability to form a rounded “O” shape with the lips, which are skills that children with cleft conditions may struggle to develop. Practicing these skills with bubbles allows children to gently strengthen their facial muscles, improve breath control, and support the motor skills needed for speech development. Beyond that, blowing bubbles can help kids connect with their parents or providers in a way that’s playful, comforting, and accessible even for very young patients. 

Finally, bubbles often follow patients with cleft conditions home in the “smile bags” that each patient receives when the surgical procedure is finished. Smile bags, which help continue speech therapy outside of the hospital setting, can contain language enrichment booklets, a mirror, oxygen tubing, and bubbles. While regular practice with motor skills can help with physical recovery, small acts of play help as well, giving kids space to simply enjoy themselves and join in on what peers are able to do.

Bubbles at Home and Beyond

Today, because of Operation Smile’s dedication to comprehensive cleft care, Lilia is now able to make friends and speak clearly, all things that could have been difficult or impossible before. Instead of a childhood defined by limitation, Lilia—and others around the world—can look forward to a childhood filled with joy, learning, discovery, friends, and new possibilities.  

CTA: Lilia’s life was changed for the better with the care she received through Operation Smile. Find out how you can make an impact in other children’s lives by visiting operationsmile.org today. 

The beloved sculptor Michelangelo once said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”

Some have taken this idea and applied it to our psychological sense of self and to those around us. The idea is that when someone in our lives (a friend, family member, or romantic partner) sees our greatest potential, it can have an immeasurable impact on who we become.

It’s called the “Michelangelo Effect,” or the “Michelangelo Phenomenon.” In a clip from the Modern Wisdom podcast that has been making the rounds on social media, Chris Williamson explains the theory to his guest, Matthew McConaughey:

“The Michelangelo Effect describes a situation in a relationship, friendship, or intimate partnership where each partner sees the best in the other—and tries to help bring that out. So the sum of the parts is greater than it is individually. I think in life, you want to be finding people who believe in you more than you believe in you. That holds you to higher standards.”

McConaughey, ever the philosopher, agrees: “I think that’s a definition of a good friend. I think that’s the definition of a good partner. A good husband. Wife. They........

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