One of the best quotes I’ve heard about marriage went something like this.
“We can get so caught up in the world of kids that we wake up years later and realize that our spouse has become a roommate that helped care for the kids. When the kids are gone, there is little to no connection between the husband and wife.” –Unknown [Paraphrased]
This hit me like a ton of bricks! Some families are great at keeping the love alive, they go out on dates weekly, hold hands while shopping or during movies, sing to each other on road trips, leave fancy little love notes…you get the point.
Yet, how do parents of itchy children fare at investing in their love?
I remember when my daughter had crazy flare ups, I stayed at home with her while my husband worked. I was stressed, tired, frustrated and at times I felt very alone. It was rare someone really understood the amount of work it takes to keep a child’s skin healthy and itch-free. As soon as he walked in the door, I saw him as my relief. I’d pass the baby to him and begin cooking, cleaning and talking about my day, asking about his. Then we’d crash and start the next day as the one before. The last thing on my mind was rekindling the love! There was work to do! I was beat. Yet, looking back today, I can easily see that if we kept moving at that pace and didn’t snap out of this itchy world for a few moments or remind each other why we started this journey, we could easily just be “roommates” years later.
So this month of Love, I’m dedicated to giving easy, little things to do, to keep the love flowing!
Today, randomly take a moment and look into his/her eyes and say “I love you” as the dishes are being washed, bath time is at hand or while paying bills. Simple, easy and memorable!
What little things does your spouse need to be rejuvenated?