I am often asked how my husband Kobie and I manage to keep a good relationship with the demands of our busy schedules. My answer is simple…we take time to cherish the little moments. This is not to say that we don’t have our share of issues like every other couple. We are, however, intentional about putting our relationship in the center of the dream that we are working hard to achieve.
This morning, we were both up early to go to author’s day events in two different cities (details below). Afterwards, I will return home while Kobie heads to an engagement in another state which will require him to be gone for three sleeps (see previous blog post 7 Sleeps- Tips for Nurturing the Kids when Daddy is Away). As we prepare to be apart for the next few days, we take time to:
- Pray- we join hands and lift our individual and collective desires to God. This allows us to get centered and focused on next steps and the days ahead. We pray for safe travels, guidance as we work towards our dreams, appropriate care for our girls, for our gifts to be used to magnify the Kingdom, and that He prepares our path.
- Refill our emotional cups- when we were dating, we completed the 5 Love Languages. Our results concluded that between the two of us, we scored high on words of affirmation, quality time, and physical touch. We use these little moments to refill each other’s emotional cups– we hug, hold hands, give kisses, talk, laugh, and speak life to each other using words of affirmation. We remind each other that we believe in them and support them in their endeavors. If we are in the middle of a disagreement, we use this time to reaffirm that we wouldn’t want to be in a marriage with anyone else. This serves as a constant reminder during the difficult times that it too shall pass.
- Recalibrate- this is the term I give to taking time to reorganize and discuss schedules, upcoming events and activities, and any needs for the children, family, household, and/or businesses.
- Surprise visits- during this trip, we met in a small city between the two cities we were working in. Though the visit was only thirty minutes, it served as an opportunity to repeat the above mentioned acts to further sustain us until he returns home.
- Capture the moment- this will sound crazy but I take a picture any time we depart from each other to go out of town. I do this for several reasons: 1) to cherish the last moment we had together until we are reunited, 2) to document the milestone of working towards our dreams, and 3) to capture what could be the last time. I know…that may sound morbid, but we never know when that day and time will come. We just know that one day it will. For those reasons, I try to capture as many moments and memories as possible.
Cherishing the little moments is a big factor of building a strong relationship and achieving our dreams. I’m thankful that we don’t take these little moments for granted.
Until next time,
Xoxo
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