Recreating Your Relationship
JOHN: We just returned from two separate camping trips about a week apart. The first was the annual family camping trip with our young adult kids in the tent with us and 17 members of the extended family on nearby sites. The second was just the two of us. Wow, what a difference! While we love spending 24/7 time with our kids and extended family, we also love the calm and freedom that come with camping as a couple. It reminds us fondly of our early years together.
The Early Years
JULIE: The first weekend we ever camped together, we discovered that we were seriously in love and realized that perhaps we were meant to be together forever. We went camping nearly every weekend that first summer, exploring the beauty that is Michigan. We experienced incredible closeness as we talked late into the night underneath a canopy of stars, sharing our hopes and dreams. It was a period of intense discovery and growth aided by the beauty, solitude, and serenity of our natural surroundings.
How We Can Recreate?
JOHN: Over the years, recreational activities have continued to provide us with some of our most memorable and intimate moments. They are opportunities to spend time focused on US doing something we enjoy TOGETHER. Options are unlimited. Anything outside the day-to-day routine can bring us closer. Ride a bike. Watch a beautiful sunset. Attend a concert in the park. Have a picnic in the family room after an early bedtime for the kids. Go for a stroll around the neighborhood. Whatever you choose, recreation is a fantastic catalyst to experience closeness.
Why Recreate? To Re-create!
JULIE: Even the word recreation means to re-create, to create something fresh and new. When you take the time for recreating your relationship, closeness and intimacy naturally follow.
JOHN: We all need time to be renewed, especially in our marriage. When I create space for Julie to enter by taking a break from the ordinary, closeness and intimacy result as we embrace like long-lost lovers. In our recreation, Julie and I are opening the door to getting reacquainted or even acquainted in new and exciting ways. Without all the clutter, I can allow Julie to see the me that just isn’t there when we’re running at our usual 100 mph pace.
JULIE: When we re-create, I see in John his carefree, playful spirit that isn’t weighed down by the responsibilities and worries of life. It is just the two of us in our own world. I can’t help but fall in love with him all over again, each time adding more depth and richness to our love.
What If I Don’t Like What You Like?
Find common ground, but don’t be afraid to try something new! John introduced me to cross-country skiing and now it is one of our favorite ways to recreate. I have also cultivated a love of theater in John. Just knowing we were willing to give these things a try because it was something the other enjoyed helped to re-create our relationship.
So what’s your favorite activity for recreating your relationship? Get out there and do it, for fun – and for the sake of your marriage.
