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Marriage retreat
A few weekends ago, my wife, Marie, and I made a marriage retreat. We joined 12 other couples and learned more about how to grow in intimacy and love for another. Taking an entire weekend off seems like heresy to most orthopedists. However, I will attest that this was one of the finest ways I could have invested my time.
Marie and I listened and learned the importance of forgiving our parents as a means of being more giving to each other. When we nurture old wounds from our formation, we simply have less to give to one another. We also recognized the importance of affirmation — something I didn’t get a lot of as a child. When we affirm our spouses lavishly and regularly, they grow in self esteem and simply become more loving in return. ‘Smart’ loving means to love someone in ways that are meaningful to them, and affirmations are always welcomed.
Lastly, we learned that to ‘live in love’ means engaging in frequent romance and physical intimacy. For some couples, it is easy to ‘go with the flow’ and ignore the fact that they have not engaged in intimate interaction with their significant other. To live in love means to reconnect with the reasons you fell in love with this person in the first place. Sexual attraction to a spouse will blossom when we foster true oneness in body and spirit. Relationships determine 80% of our happiness, and marriage is the Big Kahuna of relationships.
Invest in your marriage. Your life will depend on it.