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My wife is not a huge sports fan. Unfortunately for her, she married a baseball fanatic. I don't just like baseball, I love baseball. I love all the game's nuances, the chess match between the pitcher and the batter, all the unwritten rules that regulate the game... I just love baseball.

For our 20th anniversary this year, my wife and I had the chance to take a trip to Atlanta. She wanted to attend a conference, and I was more than happy to go along with her. It was an excellent opportunity for us to learn more about our health journey and escape away for a few days.

When we were planning the trip, I happened to look up the Atlanta Braves schedule and noticed they were in town that same weekend. After a brief discussion, my wife agreed to go to the Braves game with me. I knew she didn't really want to go, but she wanted to go with me and enjoy the experience with me. 

We ended up getting terrific seats and had the chance to check out a pretty cool stadium. I had a lot of fun getting to attend the game, but I had even more fun sharing the experience with Heather. It meant the world to me that she went along on the adventure with me and did it with a smile on her face. She didn't act bored or annoyed with me. She didn't tell me the entire time about all the other things she could have been doing instead of attending a baseball game. My wife made a big deal out of what was a big deal to me. As a result, we had a lot of fun and made memories together.

Days like that day in Atlanta are how incredible friendships are made. Along with our faith in God, our friendship is part of the foundation that our marriage is built on. We have learned that romance can come and go, but our friendship has held us together. We genuinely love spending time with each other and just doing life with each other.

We have heard from a lot of disconnected marriages over the last few months. The spouses have drifted apart and are now more roommates than friends. This happens slowly as we begin to prioritize life over doing life together. We undervalue our friendship and stop pursuing each other as friends first, lovers second.

No matter the state of your marriage, pursue an incredible friendship with your spouse. Share your life with them and enjoy the blessing of having a close friend who knows you more intimately than anyone else. Make a big deal out of what is a big deal to them, and have fun together. As you do that, your marriage will be strengthened, renewed, or restored.