There is a common misconception that as your marriage evolves and as time passes, it becomes boring. The thing is, marriage is a lifelong sleepover with your best friend.
When my husband and I became new parents, we quickly became consumed with diaper-changing, bills, and my husband’s nonstop school and work schedule that we lost sight of viewing marriage as a life-changing adventure.
There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open. —Jawaharlal Nehru
We quickly lost sight of gazing into one another’s eyes, walking hand in hand, and the reminder that marriage is truly a non-stop party with your best friend. Marriage is an opportunity to not only have your best friend with you when you wake up and when you go to bed, on the good days and the bad days, but it’s also an opportunity to have adventures under your roof every single day, for the rest of your life.
You can watch your favorite movies together, bake cookies as you dance in the kitchen, sit on the back deck and stargaze, have a candlelit dinner once the babies go to bed, and have real-life conversations about God’s protection, abundant blessings, and the opportunity to fall more in love with your spouse every single day of your life.
Here are 3 simple steps to embracing your epic marriage adventure:
1. Let it go. As they sing in the well-known Disney movie, “Frozen,” you have to learn to let it go. You need to let go of the fight you had weeks ago with your spouse that you continue rehashing, know when to let go of the stressors of life for the night so you can enjoy quality time together, and know when to let go of your phone/technology so you can just focus on quality time with one another. Let go of the constant desire for perfection and just enjoy spending time with your spouse. Be raw, be real, be vulnerable.
There is no greater happiness for a man than approaching a door at the end of a day knowing someone on the other side of that door is waiting for the sound of his footsteps. —Ronald Reagan
2. Be spontaneous. Nothing says adventure within your marriage quite like being spontaneous from time to time. Bake your husband your famous cookies or surprise him at work with his favorite coffee. Shower and put on a cute outfit before your spouse is due home. Surprise your spouse with a campout in the backyard with s’mores and catch lightning bugs together. An important aspect of keeping things real within your relationship is not always doing and saying the exact same things. Reevaluate, refresh and rejuvenate things.
3. Delve deeper. It is important to take time to dig deep and evaluate things from time to time. What are you looking for in your marriage? What is your spouse looking for? Are you supporting one another’s endeavors? Are you dreaming big as a couple? Are you challenging one another spiritually? Are you praying together? We must ask each other questions and open that positive pathway to communication. If you are talking, you are growing, and the adventure can only continue to surprise you and take you to new and exciting destinations.
Marriage is truly an adventure – so buckle up, blow up the balloons, turn on the music, sprinkle the confetti – and remember to enjoy the ride!
