I knew it was genius as soon as I saw it. A friend in one of my marriage groups made her husband a birthday gift of a deck of cards with a date promise written on each one. Every week for a year he picks one and they jump in.
The ideas range from a neck massage or a short walk to listening to a favorite song or
slack lining. Some are things they already do, while others are a bit of a stretch. He loves it so far.
The brilliant part is that she came up with a game plan when the creative juices were flowing, and then when Friday night comes with its end of the week slump, all they need to do is pick a card, any card.
I am already scheming of ways to produce them for gifts, and prizes at the marriage conference. None of them were expensive, or
needed any forethought. Just a willingness to stop doing dishes and walk out the door.
Most of us think it is a good idea to put energy into our relationships, but the rub comes when we are already swamped with chores and exhaustion. Dating worked back before kids, but after the Cheerios hit the floor it became extraneous. Or at least it felt like it.
The reality is that feeding your marriage is as important as shoveling macaroni
into toddlers, although it has less of a tendency to thrash on the floor. Partners come up with less obvious ways of vying for attention, some of which involve silence or disappearing. I know I get quiet when I am hungry for talking. Makes no sense, but there you have it.
Hence I am interested in your suggestions. Hit reply and let me know your thoughts. What have you done to reconnect with someone you love in ten minutes or less?
