To Stay Married, Keep Dating
One of my favorite memories from last year was not watching my young daughters rip into their Christmas presents, or seeing them perform in the school talent show. No, my happiest recollection was the date my husband and I went out on one stormy Tuesday night in November. A few days before, we'd had our fill of running the girls to swimming lessons and fighting with them to do their homework. We could not endure the sight of one more PTA notice requesting money for this fundraiser or attendance at that meeting. We broke. We called a sitter and reserved a table at the most elegant restaurant in town. And what a night it was. The sitter was late, of course, and the wind snapped off tree branches and hurled them at our car, but we made it. The food, the wine, and the service were fine. We put the children firmly out of our minds. By the time the salad came, we were sufficiently unwound. We started having fun. We were laughing. The subjects of the weird charge on our cell phone bill or our dire need for a new refrigerator never entered the discussion. We were transformed into the couple we used to be before children, two cars, and a mortgage. We were footloose, fancy free, and out for a good time. The happiness of that evening stayed with us for many days. We were attentive to one another. We remembered why we'd gotten married and were glad for it, proving my mother's advice that happy couples continue to date each other forever. "It's important," she'd say. But, in the early years of our marriage, I'd make excuses. Diaper and formula bills left little money for nights out on the town. It was impossible to find a good babysitter. It was selfish of us to take time away from the children. "Make it a priority," my mother would respond. "Children are the result of the marriage, not the reason for it." Like a lot of couples, my husband and I had forgotten that. We'd completely wrapped ourselves up in our children and their needs. We started losing sight of each other, but we knew that if we didn't make time for our relationship, our children would grow up and we'd be left behind, looking at each other and wondering, "Who the heck is this person?" So we decided to make it a goal to go out on a date once a month (once a week is better, according to my mother), and I heartily recommend you do the same. If you're a woman and your husband is reluctant, don't guilt trip him into "taking" you out. You're not luggage. Instead, remind him that you love him, and tell him that you miss having him to yourself. That should convince him. I'm not going to pretend it's ever easy to squeeze a date onto a calendar of never-ending responsibilities. It isn't. My husband and I had dinner plans tonight, but we had to cancel due to an event at our daughters' school. It's disappointing, but it won't deter us. We'll just reschedule our night out for next week. We've made it a priority because, as my mother counseled, our happy marriage depends on it. Terry Hernon MacDonald is the author of "How to Attract and Marry the Man of Your Dreams." Visit her website at http://www.marrysmart.com .
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Wedding Web Site Design - How to Design a Wedding Site That Others Will Rave About
If you are in the process of design a wedding web site, you want to put some serious thought into the design of your site before actually building it. The reason you need a plan is so that you know where you are going and how to get there, the plan is a roadmap of sort for the success of your wedding web site. There are a variety of things you need to keep in mind when designing a wedding web site your friends, family, and visitors will rave about, so consider the following suggestions before you get going.
Wedding Flowers
The selection process of your wedding flowers will usually begin with a discussion of the Bride's bouquet. You will have a choice of several basic styles. These are cascade, crescent, contemporary, nosegay, hand tied bouquet and arm or presentation style. You can better prepare for your first meeting with your florist if you bring the following;
Cancun Honeymoon Vacation - Pleasure Unlimited!
The Cancun honeymoon vacation comes with its bagage of sweet promises of fulfilment and bliss for one and all. Lying in the lap of nature in the arms of your loved one is one of the many cherished experiences you would have in a Cancun honeymoon vacation.
Maui: A Prime Wedding Destination
Most visitors to Hawaii would agree that Maui is the most beautiful of all the settled islands there. For your wedding ceremony, for that special day you'll remember for the rest of your lives, there's no better location than Maui. When most people think of Maui, one of the first things that come to mind are the beaches -- Maui has some of the most picturesque, beautiful beaches anywhere in the world, making it a popular location for a beach wedding.
Outdoor Wedding Ceremonies ? Keeping Your Guest Comfortable
According to a survey conducted in 2003 by Bride's magazine, 15% of all couples choose an outdoor wedding, and that trend is growing. But with a all of the beauty and simplicity that an outdoor wedding brings, it also brings added anxiety from the force known as Mother Nature. Inevitably, the question on everyone's mind will be: What is the weather going to do?
Proper Etiquette for the Wedding Invitation
The invitation is the first impression of the type of wedding you have planned. Your invitation may be custom made, sophisticated, eloquent or a do it yourself creation. With all the styles and colors to choose from, it should not be too difficult to find the perfect invitation.
Beautiful Balloon Wedding Decorations
Need a quick idea to dress up a mediocre wedding? Balloon decorations are just what you need. These do-it-yourself ideas are not only low-cost but also lovely additions to a wedding ceremony or reception. Adding balloon decorations to your wedding is a smart way to be creative and save money.
Hawaii Honeymoon Vacations - Romanticizing Your Honeymoon!
Hawaii honeymoon vacations could take you to a miracle trip to the most enchanting beaches of Hawaii. There are beaches, long and beautiful across the world but none of them could be a match for the ultimate Hawaii beaches. The Big Island of Hawaii especially has activities like scuba diving and snorkeling to enjoy. Some of the well known beaches in the Big Island are at Kohala coast, Kona District, Hilo District, Puna and Kau districts. Then there are other beaches which are equally exotic and bewitching like Maui beaches, Kauai beaches, Oahu beaches etc.
Wedding Loans in the UK ? Saving Future from the Present Wedding Expenses
It is wrong if you thought that typical British weddings are starving of novel ideas. In fact, there is a glut of ideas, and each idea sounds as enthralling as the previous ones. The only glitch then is of finance. Had weddings been the be-all and end-all of life, not an iota of concern would have been put on the expenses. It isn't though. Wedding marks the onset of a new life for the married couple. Rash expenses at this stage of life are only going to make things worse in the future.
Flowers in Her Hair
Before George W Bush became a President, John Quincy Adams was the first son of a President to become a President himself. But while John Quincy Adams lost that first, for him and his family there are still other firsts.
?ello? ?ello? ?ello? Is that the Wedding, then?
You hear them at champagne-flowing parties. You hear them in crowded trains. You hear them in bumpy buses. And much, much too often you hear them at weddings.
Maid of Honor Duties
Being chosen as a maid of honor is a great privilege, but it also requires a large number of responsibilities in the wedding planning process. The maid of honor will likely be spending a great deal of time with the best man, since their duties are often the same and require them to work hand-in-hand in order for the wedding to be a success. Once you have dealt with the excitement of being part of the wedding party and of wearing a great dress, it's time to start planning immediately. Here is a list of common duties the maid of honor must fulfill:
How to Recognize and Cope with an Emotional Affair
Did you know that an emotional affair can be just as dangerous to a marriage as a physical affair, and sometimes more so? And that spouses who never had any intention of cheating can unwittingly become enmeshed in an emotional affair?
Planning the Menu for Your Wedding Reception
When you are planning a budgeted menu, you must first know what your exact budget is when it comes to the food and drink specifically. Some people keep the food and drinks separate, but on average, the food and drink are a part of the same bill.
Trust in Marriage
Trust is the basis of all human relationships. Trust can be thought of as a thermometer that can measure the positive and negative nature of a relationship. The more positive one feels about a person, the higher the trust level associated with him/her.
Throwing a Las Vegas Garden Wedding
You may not think of Las Vegas as an area known for its gardens but you'd be wrong. There are more gardens in and around Las Vegas than you'd think possible given the desert environment, the heat and the crowds of tourists that never stop coming. There are gardens inside in some of the most unlikely places and there are outside gardens that will make you forget you're in the desert.
Cultivating Spiritual Intimacy
When two people - destined for each other, come together, there is often an incredible amount of combustibility. Combustion occurs when two or more substances react chemically together, resulting in the giving off of heat and light; often called burning. In the same manner, two people joined together by God can spiritually set each other on fire.
Wedding Cake - Bakery Tips
Wedding cake bakeries will have a cake portfolio to look at and that will help you decide if they are able to make the cake you want.
Your Disc Jockey Acts As A Wedding Event Planner
Give disc jockey's credit. Many of them have endured so much criticism. The banquet managers sometimes won't acknowledge their existence or tries to dictate what they have to do and when. They am forced to haul their $15,000 worth of sound equipment through a greasy kitchen or up a rickety flight of stairs because they don't want them to be seen loading in the nice ramp in front. Wedding professionals need to work together because they should all have the same goal ? please the customer (the bride and groom). So many times other professionals forget that fact too easily.
How to Find The Perfect Wedding Dress
You want the perfect wedding dress, so you have made it a major focus of your pre wedding planning. There are some things you need to find from the bridal shop, before you even look at your first gown. Do you need to make an appointment to visit the shop? Does the store carry dresses you can afford Can you browse the whole collection, or do you only get to see the dresses the sales person chooses for you? If this shop doesn't carry the dress you love, can it be ordered?
|
