Let me start by clarifying my intention with this title. I don’t mean to offend, but I am sure we are familiar with the idea of the “old married couple.” For the purpose of this post the title represents a couple lacking spontaneity, excitement and spice.
According to our children, my husband and I are old; however, to the rest of the world we are quite young. We still have the best years of our lives ahead of us and I am looking forward to sharing them my hubby. What I don’t want to happen is for us to get so comfortable now that we are no longer putting forth the effort to keep our marriage physically, emotionally and spiritually alive. I don’t want either of us to be okay with spending hot summer nights sitting in the house watching TV. Neither do I want us to always go to separate corners of our home not communicating for hours. I also don’t want us to ever forget the source of our strength and fail to pray and keep God as the primary focus in our marriage.
Being reminded of what I don’t want has helped me to focus on our goals as a couple. After nearly 14 years of marriage (and those married even longer can relate) we sometimes feel like we’ve done it all. But I am determined not to get settled or become lazy in this relationship. We still have the world to see and experience. In addition to travel we still have things we’ve never done like cooking lessons or art classes. There are also a number of adventures on our list that we can experience together. When we do become that old married couple, my wish is that we have no regrets.
I have to make sure we enjoy one another. Doing the same things all the time makes our marriage boring. My husband is really great about creating entertaining date nights and making sure our relationship is alive and well. We can’t be limited in our thinking or committed to one way of doing things. What contributes to the joy in a marriage is when both partners are willing to do what the other spouse wants to do. Knowing it isn’t just about us helps. Even if it’s something that doesn’t speak to our idea of fun, if it’s enjoyable to our spouse, we should give it a try. You usually have more fun than you think. It’s about sacrifice.
Again, my commitment to my marriage right now is all about the experience. While we are both physically able, I want to ensure we create experiences that last a lifetime. When we do become an old married couple, I want to look back over our life together and be completely satisfied with the memories we created.
How do you keep the excitement alive in your relationship?