Bedtime Stories for Couples

I've always felt that the most important time with my husband is bedtime. There's something special in those last few minutes before sleep that is not shared with the rest of the world. Sleepy reminiscences of the day, telling each other our challenges and plans for the week, and snuggling up as our eyes are closing... these moments are so totally ordinary, and yet they forge a bond of intimacy that strengthens our relationship to meet the demands of life as a team.

It can be a real challenge when schedules conflict, or when babies are demanding. Maybe there are a million little things than can be caught up on "if I just stay up a few more hours," but if those precious times with my husband aren't given priority it's not long before I start to feel like a one-person-show. The reality is that more often than not the urgent little things that steal away my time and attention are inanities like eBay, email, and chores that could wait until tomorrow. What do these things matter in the big picture, while my marriage is taking a back seat?

We've all heard that the most important things in life aren't things, they're relationships. Relationships with our children, our spouse, and God. Family and friends. Neighbours. Every person needs connection, and many people are depressed because they don't have it. In the same way that spare change, when saved diligently over a long period, adds up to something significant, so the ordinary bedtime stories shared with my spouse, night after night, add up to a solid relationship and a strong connection.

I hope you take time to share the ordinary things with people you love. Make it a habit. And no matter what else is demanding your attention or energy, keep investing in your relationships.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 4, 2009 at 12:49 PM

    AMEN! Besides, for young or old, bedtime stories are supposed to be fun!

    But, seriously, if we don't know the precious priority of our own relationships at home before all others, we are rather poor at heart. Thanks for the reminder, Sarah!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 4, 2009 at 2:04 PM

    Ouch... Are those tears of regret stinging my eyes? Sarah, you are so totally and absolutely right.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 4, 2009 at 6:44 PM

    Thanks for reminding me how important it is to communicate more to my husband. The baby can really let things in the marriage department take a backseat. It's always one day at a time.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please leave a name at the bottom of your comment if using the no-login option - I like to know who I'm addressing! Thanks. :)

Popular posts from this blog

The Fruit Of My Labour

I love, absolutely love, getting ripe fruit and veggies off the clearance rack (49c to 99c) at our local No Frills for next to nothing. I also love their doorcrasher sales - like a fantastic basket of peaches I picked up this week for a couple of dollars. Of course, peaches don't keep very well once they're ripe, so I had to find something to do with them. We've been eating them like crazy, and I have had a good chuckle at my husband peeling the fuzzy skin off his peaches before eating them. It reminds me of my little brother, who used to say "it gives me shiver-ies!" Last night I saw that some of them were starting to rot, so today I set to making peach chutney. I read online that if you dip a peach in boiling water for 30 seconds, the skin slips off easily. So, I blanched, skinned, sliced and chopped peaches this morning, sprinkling them with lemon juice and salt. Then I boiled vinegar and brown sugar with finely chopped onion, cumin, coriander, and a pinch mo
Read more

"I Believe I Can Fly"

Do you ever feel like you're trapped in a hopelessly ordinary life? The tedium of your day to day responsibilities weighs you down like a millstone around your neck when you think of the dreams and passions you had in your youth. Maybe you dreamed of being a social activist, a political leader, a missionary, or a well-known writer, and now you're just an average Joe with an average job and a family to take care of. With all the routine busyness of everyday life, you've stopped pursuing or even thinking much about your grand dreams. Maybe you do still cherish some secret passions, but have stopped believing that you will ever achieve anything. You doodle endlessly in the margins of your notebook at staff meetings, but don't take the idea of drawing for a living seriously. You send money to World Vision, but never go yourself to see, hear, touch the people in desperate need. You write songs that you might share with a few friends, but don't take the leap of pursuing a
Read more

By Request

Hello dear readers! It has been several months since I last posted on this blog, since the life of a large family has consumed much of my time and resources. From time to time I have thought of The Happy Domestic blog, as issues have come up on which I felt I had something of value to say or share, but mostly these have been shelved for a more opportune time. In recent days, however, I have had a number of people ask me when I will put up another post, and tell me that they miss reading my day-in-the-life stories, encouragement, and recipes. So, dear readers, I will try to set aside some regular time (weekly, perhaps) to blog about things that I hope will be helpful or humourous for you to enjoy. Stay tuned to get the latest on some great new recipes that I have discovered, and some life lessons I have learned in the last year! I look forward to renewing my creative outlets here, on The Happy Domestic.
Read more