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In our relationship, I am the dreamer. I love to dream of romantic getaways with my wife and elaborate dates to escape and get lost in each other. Heather is the more practical. When I am looking up trips to the beach or mountains, she gently brings me back down to earth with the everyday realities that we face. When I try to plan out every second of an elaborate date and stress over the details, she encourages me to relax, go with the flow and be spontaneous.

I have learned from my wife that staying connected doesn't require homerun marital moments. Romantic getaways are incredible, and every marriage needs time where they can escape away together. If we keep our eyes only focused on big things, we can find ourselves guilty of overlooking the small things each day that keep us emotionally connected with our spouse.

Marriages thrive when a couple makes the most of the small, everyday moments. Little opportunities to connect present themselves throughout our days. The question is, will we make the most of them? 

  • Will we shut down the electronics and have a meaningful conversation with our spouse?
  • Will we never miss an opportunity to show appreciation and kindness to each other?
  • Will we touch every chance we get, even if it is simply sliding our hands across our spouse's back as we pass them in the kitchen? 
  • Will we look for ways to meet our spouse's love language?
  • Will we treat our spouse like a blessing and not a burden?

Sometimes the opportunity to stay emotionally connected with our spouse is right in front of us. We have to recognize these moments and overlook them because they may seem inconsequential to us. When we make a big deal out of what our spouse views as a big deal, it sends them a message that we care about who they are as a person. 

The most incredible thing happens when we get this right in our marriage - we actually enjoy spending time with our spouse. Our pursuit of our spouse builds an incredible friendship that becomes the emotional foundation of our relationship.