Joe and I go out twice a month on a hot date! Yes, after 15 yrs of marriage, 18 yrs together, and 20 yrs of knowing each other, we still date! We know relationships take work…hard work, so we carve out time to spend together. Alone. Without the kiddos. (Moms…this one can be a hard one for us at times and not so hard at times, esp when we are stir crazy to get a moment of just being, but still carve out that time…IT IS WORTH IT!) Sometimes we go for walks on our bike path, sometimes we just chat over a cuppa Starbucks, sometimes we play! He truly knows how to make me laugh and I love to spend time with him! We are the type of couple that when we are apart, we miss each other. We also have realized that if we don’t pursue one another our love tanks become depleted.
Dates don’t have to kill your budget. This took some creativity on our part, but we trade with close friends for our date nights. We watch their kids one Friday and then they watch ours the next. We keep the trade off the same every month. They go out first weekend of the month and we go out the second. This way we know that we can’t make plans because we have a commitment to each other. So we encourage you all to “Date” your spouses! Next to your relationship with the Lord, it is the most important relationship you have and it will continue long after the kids leave the house. A good marriage is one of the best gifts you can give your family! Each day this week, do one thing a day to show your spouse you love them! Write them a love note, take the time to sit and talk over coffee, bring home their favorite chocolate or food just for them, initiate sex, get a babysitter and go on a date, complete a task they’ve been asking you to do, send them something at work telling them you miss them when they are gone, brag on him/her in front of your friends, text them and tell them you LOVE them, thank them for something they do for you! Pursue each other and find out what meets the other person’s needs!
Share with us! What are some ideas that have worked to make datenites a priority in your marriage or relationship?
