Date Nights
In July we wrote a post on Romance, simple and spontaneous. We described it as a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love and remoteness from every day life and promised a post on dating. One of our favorite quotes from Mignon McLaughlin, author and journalist is: “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” This is why “Date Nights” are so important. They take us back to why we fell in love all over again. Everyday “Romance” makes us crave those “Date Nights.” We have found both to be important in our 38 plus years of marriage.
Our lives can be so busy and full with work, exercise and kid activities too numerous to count, it is easy to feel frustrated and resentful. We begin to judge that we are taken for granted. A Date Night involves creating a unique and special space for each other, something out of the ordinary. It doesn’t have to be expensive — candlelight, wine and romantic music. A public expression of love and commitment says “I love you and I want the world to know!” A Date Night can also be simple, screen free space carved out of a busy week to focus on each other — to play board games, cook a meal together, go on a picnic, a hike or drive together. Anything that reinforces the value of your relationship fits our definition of Date Night.
Romance is spontaneous, a Date Night should be planned — the invitation and planning is half the fun! We learned to cross-country ski and took dance lessons, and painted pottery together.
These dates took planning, arranging childcare and were something which we looked forward to. I planned a weekend get away to the mountains and kept it a surprise for a special birthday gift for Tom. Just writing about it brings me back to that excitement and allure of romance. Once we went to a favorite restaurant for a date night and when we asked for the bill, our waiter told us it had been paid for by another customer. Our relationship is important not only to us, but to those around us.
We make goals for work, fitness goals, refrigerator charts with goals and stars for our children. We encourage you to make a goal of a monthly Date Night or a screen free evening a week — time to focus on each other. Her is a link to a list of fun fall date activities. We would love it if you would share some of your favorite date activities and we’ll add them to the list!
