In honor of our Ten Year Anniversary this month, I'm writing out lessons I've learned from being married to my man.
I don't think I'm an expert on anything really (except maybe how to nurse a baby while chasing a two year old and never even breaking the baby's latch), but I do think that Derek and I have something pretty great. While much of our relationship is due to just being extremely compatible, our life is not perfect, we are not perfect, and I've had to learn some pretty hard lessons in my ten years thus far as a wife.
(An oldie but a goody, look at Henry picking his nose! HAHAHA!)
Robert Browing wrote:
What of soul was left, I wonder, when the kissing had to stop?
When Derek and I were dating, a married friend told us about the ritual her spouse and she had: After every prayer together, they'd kiss.
Guess what one of our rituals is? It's been going strong for 10 years! First of all, if we're praying each day like we should be, that means we're KISSING each day too. It's a fantastic way to keep the love alive. No, we don't have a make-out session every time someone blesses the food, but we do get a chance each day to reconnect.
Along with that ritual comes our nightly scripture study and prayer. We rarely miss a night (and no we're not talking deep, in-depth study), it's a few verses, discuss what needs discussing and a prayer. Oh and don't forget the KISS. ;)
A third tradition that has grown out of necessity as we've added children to the mix is our weekly date night. Babysitters run $10 an hour these days (and they should, we have FIVE kids to watch) so we rarely get to go OUT on a date. So, instead, we bring the date to us. Once a week we'll try and get the kidlets in bed even a half hour early (I don't care what they are doing up there so long as they are quiet and stay put) and Derek or I will run and get dinner from a restaurant. We'll either pick up or make a dessert too.
The laptops get put away, we sit TOGETHER on the couch, and we eat and talk. We'll watch a favorite show or if we're feeling awake we might try for a whole movie. It's simple, it's nothing special, but it's important to us.
These are just examples that work for US, but I think anything that you do together, and make the effort toward doing, can become an important ritual for your couplehood.
For me and my marriage, it's vital. It reminds me that we are people beyond our jobs. We are a team, and we are each other's best friends. It's so easy to forget!
Have you any rituals/traditions that help make your marriage tick? Share them! Maybe we can all adopt some new ones. ;)
1 comment:
I love this post. It reminds me we can make date night happen without going anywhere -- something I need reminded of, since each newborn requires a period of adjustment for everyone where going "out" is less appealing, for us. We can still nurture things between us though, I just have to remember that a date isn't defined by getting out of the house!
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