Good Morning Texas’ Paige McCoy Smith shares heartfelt tips for reigniting the spark in your marriage….
by Paige McCoy Smith | Contributor
I feel like I’ve lost him. I’m referring to my 16-year-old son. He’s still around – I can tell because our fridge is never full – but he’s consumed by a screen and the mysterious world of constant messaging. It’s not entirely his fault. It’s HER fault. Yes, he’s in love. I mean completely, head-over-heels in love. We recently took the two lovebirds to a movie, and I was amazed at how they couldn’t separate from one another. I watched him juggle a large popcorn in one hand and a soda under his arm to keep his hand free to hold hers. I rolled my eyes but then felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me. I remember that feeling – being infatuated with the man who was parking the mini-van while we found our seats. I recall when all I could think about was him, and spending time together was the ONLY thing that mattered. Honestly, nowadays, I spend more time pondering what shoes to wear instead of romantic thoughts about my husband.
I know I’m not alone. It’s challenging to maintain that passion when day-to-day responsibilities start to stifle romantic life! So, what’s a girl to do? I’ve concocted a plan aimed at reigniting that long-lost spark. Well, it’s not really a secret since I’m sharing it, but let’s pretend I’m whispering it to you, and I hope it sparks some inspiration.
LOVE NOTES
I’ve been leaving love notes. I discovered that my keyboard-driven hands can still wield a pencil, and I’m placing little notes in spots he’s sure to discover. Sure, it requires more effort than firing off a text, but it recreates memories of passing notes in class and lights up his face. It brings a smile to my face too. I already have tomorrow’s note ready. Here it is…
DO YOU LIKE ME? YES OR NO (CIRCLE ONE)
CONVERSATION CARDS
Date nights seem like a logical way to reconnect. However, our recent ones didn’t go as planned. Although we had the best intentions to focus on each other instead of the kids, we often found our conversation dwindling. In a moment of desperation, I mistakenly thought discussing the upcoming presidential campaign (a real Hail Mary) would help, but it spiraled into campaign finance, which led to discussions about our own finances, and capped off with the topic of kids’ allowances. We ended up driving home in silence. So next time, I’m bringing Conversation Cards. I’ll use index cards, but you can grab some questions from www.conversationstarters.com. Some questions are better for strangers, but others could be eye-opening. For example, “What do you miss most about being a child?” or “If you could be any animal, what would you choose?” You might be surprised at what you uncover about the man sleeping next to you.
ACTS OF KINDNESS
As for me, my “love language” is compliments. Tell me I look good, and you’ll have a loyal friend! For my husband and many men, their “love language” manifests through acts of kindness. Tasks like getting the oil changed, purchasing him some new socks, or even giving him a simple foot rub might just be the gestures that make him feel loved and draw us closer together. I must admit, this one can be tough for me. However, dedicating a small portion of our time and effort to our spouse might greatly enhance our marital health.
Confession time – it’s a bit unsettling taking love advice from a lovestruck teenager – especially when that teenager is my son. But love isn’t just for the young! Those butterflies we experienced when we were teenagers are still fluttering around inside us. They may have been cocooned for a while… but they yearn for a chance to spread their wings!
Until next time,
PS: Look for me on WFAA Channel 8 Monday through Friday at 9:00 AM!
