My wife is of Irish descent, and thus, in her heart, is completely Irish. I, on the other hand, from the point of view of many of the Irish, have the dubious distinction of being half English. Regrettably, England’s transgressions against the Irish haven’t been entirely erased from Ireland’s national memory.

My wife and I love each other deeply. Kim is a sweet, tenderhearted soul who cries over the troubles of others. She’s always thinking of how a person was raised, and what trials they’ve gone through, and reminds me often that “everyone needs love”.

In our efforts to cross the cultural divide between the former “enemy” nations of England and Ireland, I sometimes encounter a flash of Irish temper. Reflecting about our histories, I tell Kim that I can imagine her Irish female ancestor pacing the walls of a castle, under a stormy sky, holding a whiskey bottle in one hand and the severed head of an Englishman in the other. A macabre but illustrative image of “ancient rage”.

Irish women are not the only women burdened by thousands of years of ancestral memories of neglect and abuse at the hands of men. Women everywhere have been treated badly by the “stronger” sex. Men could say that women aren’t perfect and have also hurt men. However, men had the power, the swords and the backs of their hands, and used them frequently to dominate women and keep them “in their place”.

If acts of physical violence toward women were the only sins that men were guilty of, many men would declare themselves innocent. Unfortunately, the problems of men run deeper. I believe that the ancient rage of women toward men is rooted in men’s inability to express God’s parental and unselfish love toward women. My wife’s frequent question as a teenager was, “can men love?” Her answer was usually “no”. Many women believe that men are incapable of love. A Japanese woman once asked, in broken English, “what purpose man?”

Lonely, mistreated, and unable to share their deepest emotions with men, women endured for thousands of years. Too often, men were oblivious about the state of their own hearts. Thus, the ancient rage of women was fueled and cemented.

It’s time for men to turn toward their wives, sisters, mothers and daughters, and open their hearts to the ones who can understand them better than anyone. A man’s best friend should be his soul mate, his eternal love — his wife. It’s time for men to find and reveal their true heart of love, and erase the ancient rage of women. Even if a man feels that he didn’t contribute to that rage, expressing sincere apology to women, on behalf of all men, will help assuage each woman’s ancestral pain.

When a husband and wife are from nations, races or lineages that stood as enemies, their love gains even deeper meaning. By marrying and loving one’s “enemy”, the anger and resentment of millennia begin to melt away, and world peace draws one step closer.