Thursday, January 3, 2008

New Years 2008

Well Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2008. Seems time just keeps flying by and frankly I'm getting kinda weirded out.

I turn 26 this month (I know I'm ancient right?!). I now like going to bed at 10 PM (OR earlier if I'm lucky), our friends are actually beginning to get pregnant and "stuff," Dave and I continuously talk about "old married people stuff" like updating the house and/or shopping at Ellis Pottery for decorations, and we lately amuse ourselves by sitting on the couch comparing HDTV to regular TV! I know...exciting right? So, what the heck is going on?

Seems the "honeymoon period" is in fact wearing off and life is beginning to settle in as it should while my wifely duties have started to become more natural. To be quite honest, I have started to enjoy them a lot. HAHA! But as I have ventured more and more into marriage, I can't help but wonder about this honeymoon period. Why does it have to end? And where does it go? Do couples one day wake up and decide to be boring and not into each other?

After having this conversation with my husband and others at work, I decided to "define" my idea of "honeymoon period." It's the point during a marriage when you continually flirt/leave your spouse wanting more (Sepulvado-Anderson, 2006). Yes, you're married, but it seems during this period it's almost like a playful game that keeps the spark and sass between both parties. I'm not talking about the idea of men or women spending money to by their husbands/wives gifts or some fairy tale ending some people dream of. I'm talking about the playfulness, the spark, and the ongoing idea of hey...your my husband/wife and I want to jump your bones. The idea of saying hey..thanks for being my rock and the one I depend on during even my roughest days. What happens to this?

I have seen/heard from numerous people who have been married much longer than Dave and I that life just seems to get in the way. Take a moment and remember back to your last dining out experience...did you see one of these couples? You know the people that just sit there (without emotion), no talking or spark. Instead they eat, stare into space, and leave without even the smallest gesture to one another. Has life gotten in their way? I have to say yes... and I would go even farther saying that I think life gets in the way of a lot of our relationships.

Seriously...think about it. Each morning you get up, get dressed, race out the door, blast into work and try to work/smile for at least 8 hours (if not longer), get off, stop by the gym, come home, wash/clean/feed whatever and whoever is in your household, and then maybe just maybe have about 2 hours tops with your spouse. From there usually people have other obligations either with work or school. I know I teach one night a week at a local university here. I love it; however, grading/prepping for class can sometimes take me hours. And this does not include the time you spend with your kids. EXHAUSTING right?

So, to wrap up my thinking for the day, my point is that the honeymoon period can stay alive during your marriage. It can and it will if you just remember to flirt and have fun with each other even during bad days. My hope is that when you read this you remember to keep that sass in your marriage - be confident in who you are and show your spouse how much you love him/her. It's during those flirtatious moments when you remember that feeling of falling in love for the first time and why God brought you two together in the first place! I have been reminded lately when we are sitting on the couch and looking at the differences between 720p and 1080i television (whatever that means) how much I love my husband and how I am so thankful that our spark is still alive!

Happy New Year everyone....let's have a rockin' year!

"God has given us these times of joy." Psalm 81:4