Spring Cleaning

JULIE

In the wee hours of the morning of March 20, Spring quietly tiptoed in while we were sleeping!  And although the layer of snow we received later in the day suggested otherwise, another winter had passed.  The time for new life had begun, and with that also came Spring cleaning.

In addition to cleaning out the garden beds and spraying the emerging plants and buds so that the deer don’t decimate them, Spring is a time to clean out what’s been swept under the rug of winter.  It’s a time to show the cobwebs who’s the boss.  It’s a time to open the windows wide to let in the fresh air.

John and I also use this time as an opportunity to do a little Spring cleaning in our marriage. This simply means taking the time to re-evaluate how things are going and committing to work on things that could use a little improvement. 

JOHN

One area we decided to re-evaluate was the area of our physical relationship outside of the bedroom.  Gentle head rubs, kisses, and holding hands have always been an important part of our relationship.  While I value them, I was recently not paying close enough attention to this. I was distracted by my job and outside commitments. When Julie shared the disappointment and loneliness she felt when she sensed that I wasn’t being attentive to her desire for physical touch, I realized I needed to make her my first priority again. 

I have committed to making a conscious effort to show Julie how much I love her by speaking her ” love language” of physical touch. On the days I’ve worked from home, I’ve taken time out of my day to find her and give her a little TLC.  And when she feels a migraine coming on, I stop whatever I’m doing (even if I’m on my way out the door) to stroke her head as I know this helps relieve her symptoms.  These small choices to love Julie have already begun to bear fruit with more smiles and playfulness between us.  This joy has spilled over to our physical relationship inside the bedroom.

JULIE

I know how much John loves a good head scratch!  Yet in my struggle to get enough sleep and get healthy, I realized I wasn’t paying enough attention to John’s need for physical touch, either.  I decided to do a little Spring cleaning in this area myself.   As a result, I’ve chosen to spend a few minutes before bed each night giving him some TLC.  He enjoys this little gesture of love so much and it takes so little effort – why wouldn’t I do it more often?  I want the last thing he remembers each night as he drifts off to sleep is that I love him more than anything. 

We don’t need to wait until a certain date on the calendar to re-evaluate our marriage.  The change of seasons is the perfect opportunity for us to intentionally take its pulse and make desired changes. This regular Spring cleaning creates fertile soil for our love to continue to blossom and grow.  So grab your garden gloves and get to work!  You’ll be so glad you did!