Okay, so hopefully by now you have thought of someone you want to gift bomb. I have several in mind! You have most of January to go, so it should be pretty easy to find time to carry these surprise gifting “attacks” (and, at the minimum, at least one!) We would love to hear about your experience, or better yet, bless us by commenting on the gift-bombing post for others to read!
Giving to neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family – especially when they have no idea it was you – is a mood-boosting hobby. In fact, I would not be surprised if you spend this year anonymously blessing people left and right. It sounds addictive! I suppose I will find out soon! Still, as important as it is to sacrificially give resources and affirmation, it is also important to give our time and energy. Somehow it seems like the ones we love the most are the ones who take a back seat in our lives.
Time to Make a Change?
During a portion of our marriage, Eric and I set aside Wednesday nights as date nights. We might go out to eat or stay in and watch a movie. Whatever we did, we were together and the point was to reconnect. Knowing that night was coming made such a huge difference in my week.
Monday we are back to work. Tuesday brings this problem and that situation. But, WEDNESDAY is coming! I KNOW Wednesday night will be relaxing and a special time with my man. I can keep moving forward.
I am not sure what your schedule is like currently, but if you can set Wednesday night aside for your special someone, I think it will make a noticeable difference in your relationship over time. When Eric and I go long periods of time without having fun together, (e.g., laughing, tickle fights, ethnic foods, etc.), my desire to please him diminishes. This is especially evident in our work.
After we spend time together and my love tank is full, I am ready to tackle the next project. I feel like his teammate and I want to operate as his partner. And, when we have not spent much time together and my heart feels empty and dry, I honestly struggle to care about my work or making him happy. As you can imagine, neglecting our reconnection time can lead to some epic battles. Real verbal fights, not tickle fights. (Though, we have had some epic tickle battles too.)
If you can, set aside a day in the middle of the week to unwind, enjoy life, and bless your sweetheart. If you cannot do Wednesday, consider Tuesday or Thursday. If no weekdays work, make the weekend count.
Some of these evenings you will need to spend alone. No matter how extraverted you are as a couple, it is necessary to talk, check in with each other, and fill your tanks by yourselves. And, some of these evenings you will need to spend together with others. No matter how introverted you are as a couple, it is necessary to build community, give and receive support, and to enjoy some comic relief with people who are traveling down a similar path. It takes some effort to build these relationships, but once they are in place, they are blessings. It is so sweet to spend quality time with Eric and those friends we have grown to love and trust over the years.
January Dates
With a new year and a determination for a blessing-filled 2016, now is a perfect time to introduce (or re-introduce) the date night to your relationship. Keep a balance between personal date nights and date nights with friends and stay tuned in to what your lady or gentlemen needs as well.
And note, I am preaching to the choir here; Eric and I need to be more intentional about this as well. We have seasons where we do great! We hold to our date night with (almost) all our strength. Then something comes up and we let it slide. Then we let it slide again. Eventually, we faintly remember that we used to have a date night. If you’re on a fade like this, take this as an opportunity to get back onto the cycle.
With this tradition in place, you can always know something enjoyable is coming. Having that hope at your fingertips can propel you forward when you are running on steam.
Spend your Date Night with Us!
Couples who work with us not only spend time together, but learn more about themselves and each other, share some laughs, and take one more step towards being prepared for their wedding day. We have worked with many couples who are at the crossroads between dating and engagement, and they wanted guidance and some assurance before taking that next step. Check out our pre-engagement counseling and pre-marital counseling programs and consider spending one night a week for a couple months with us! It is an excellent use of your time together!
Quick Review!
Okay, so we are planning to drop off gifts and run away giggling and we are planning to create and hold to an oasis-like date night with our special someone. This sounds like an excellent start to a warm and memorable January. Those two activities alone are enough to significantly reduce sadness and gloom.
More ideas are coming! Stay tuned for more ways to overcome the January blues with your sweetheart… your teddy bear… your bae… your cutie pie… (I could do this all night). See you Friday!
What will you plan for your next date night (tonight?)? [Comment below!]