Skip to main content

Romance Reflections





“An archeologist is the best husband any woman can have; the older she gets, the more interested he is in her.”
-- Agatha Christie

“If you want to read about love and marriage, you've got to buy two separate books.”
-- Alan King

“When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing:  either the car is new or the wife is.”  Unknown




It’s Valentine’s Day and every time I turn around, I see a Tweet or post that has to do with couple love.  It is laughable that I am writing such a post today; I’m no expert when it comes to romance, but I’m going to give it a shot.  By the way, I agree with so much of what I’ve read this week about keeping romance alive.  It is worth the effort to find babysitters for those date nights or tweak schedules to get away together.  And I’m all for the special love notes in the brief case or lunch pail and cooking up favorite dinners or sending a text message with a surprise sentiment.



My favorite aspect of keeping love alive is implementing the love language.  My girls and I have read about the five love languages from cover to cover and we are amazed at the concept.   My guy gives me my love language, Acts of Service, every single day.  I wish I could say I do the same for him.  Perhaps this post is for me today!  Like most men, his love language is physical touch.  The man loves to be hugged.



This is a true story from last weekend when we were at an outdoor party with round tables.  When we turned our chairs to listen to the live band, I noticed the couple at the next table.  The guy was very affectionate, stealing kisses as his Sanguine Sally nibbled on her appetizers and his arm was always around her.  She was a life-of-the-party type so it was easy to tap her on the shoulder and ask if they were newlyweds.  She laughed and thought that was funny for some reason and replied:  “We’re in a new relationship!”  I introduced myself and my husband who was sitting what looked like chairs apart from me compared to them.  I mentioned we’ve been married over 40 years and I probably need to hug him more or at least sit closer.  She giggled.  Then I got the bright idea to reach into my purse and pull out my camera.  I handed it to Sally and told her I intend to sit on his lap; would she take our picture?  Sally’s reply:  “Yes, Girl.  Go love on your man!”   Then she sat on her boyfriend’s lap and her girlfriend took their picture.  I’m thinking that I have not lost the art of motivation!



My fun friend, Patricia, began her Bible Study one morning unusually.  She was teaching us about stepping out boldly. Her lead-in illustration was hilarious.  She had read an article in a woman’s magazine and decided to set the timer and kiss her husband (of well over 30 years at that time) for one minute.  She had us in stitches with her bold approach to the one-minute kiss.  Of course I had to try it.  All I can say is one minute is a long time!



One thing I don’t care much for are those big teddy bears they try to sell you for Valentine’s Day.  I despise that corny commercial of the couple on TV who sell them.



Those are my thoughts about romance.  How do you keep the fire burning?  How about you long-time married ones; can you kiss for one minute?  I double dare ya!

This post links to Everyday Jesus


7 Days Time
 
and Tell Me A Story
Tell Me a Story

Comments

  1. Visiting from "Every Day Jesus."

    Love this post! And love the five love languages - they are great at keeping the love alive. I'm not married yet but we try to keep the romance alive by figuring out what makes the other person feel special.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Mary! I am familiar with the love languages, although I have not read the book. I like gifts, my husband like to be a servant. Which is good, because with this darn leg, I need a lot of help!

    I know a minute seems like an hour sometimes. I think I'd start laughing after about 10 seconds! But romance in a marriage is a great thing to keep up, so making the effort to hold hands, open doors, say 'I love you' goes a long way.
    Happy Valentines Day to you and your hubs :)
    Ceil

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, I've never tried it, but it sure sounds like fun to this soon to be married 43 years gal! Should I report back to you, my sweet friend?

    We have also read the Five Love Languages...what a remarkable book!

    Have a great Valentine's Day tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello my friend,
    It's been a while since I've been by to visit but I saw your post come up on my reading list and thought I would drop by for a visit. I really did enjoy your post. My hubby too loves to cuddle. He also loves words of affirmation. Yes, we've also read the book. I think it's fabulous that you sat on his lap in public! That's something I probably wouldn't do although he would love it if I did. We've been married over forty years and more in love than ever. And yes, we've done the one minute or longer kiss! Happy Valentines Day to you and your sweetheart!

    Blessings,
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete
  5. Romance definitely comes in different packages. I am a touchy feely person. I love to hug and hold hands and all that and my hubby is so patient with me because I usually try to do those things when he's in the middle of doing something. LOL! Valentine's for us isn't so much about romance but family love. I do a big Valentine's day dinner for everyone and we give each other Valentine's and stuff. BUT our anniversary is 3 days later and THAT'S when the romance begins. *wink*
    I love your post. I think it's very open and honest and I appreciate that.
    HUGS!
    Kim

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great reminder to be diligent in our pursuit of the ones God placed in our lives. We so tend to take our greatest gifts in this life for granted.

    You may not be an expert, but your striving is a wonderful encouragement.

    My wife's gonna be grateful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You're so cute, Mary! I'd love to see that image of you on hubby's lap!

    We've only been married 10 years, but I could sure take a chapter from your philosophies!
    I'll definitely have to follow up on that book, before it's too late! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a funny lovely post. I must say after heing marries for almost 25 years, we still acts like weds when we are together since mmy hubby is a seaman and away most it the time. no problem kissing him longer than one minute:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a funny lovely post. I must say after heing marries for almost 25 years, we still acts like weds when we are together since mmy hubby is a seaman and away most it the time. no problem kissing him longer than one minute:)

    ReplyDelete
  10. This totally makes me grin, Mary!! I love the quotes (so funny) and also there is some wonderful advice in here. Hubs and I have done the five love languages three times, and it is interesting how they change just a smidge with the seasons of our life. (Before kids, I was Words of Affirmation/Quality time. Now I am acts of service.) His physical touch has always been super high, although recently Words of Affirmation took the lead.

    And yes, when he returns from Ranger school, you can bet I will try the one minute kiss on him. (Hopefully in only 7 more weeks. #HurryUpArmy)

    Thanks for linking up, girl! Great, great post.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I do remember when kissing for one minutes was not a problem, in fact I think we held it longer then a minutes...oh my those were the days.

    After 50 years our ideas of romance is pretty much the same, a quiet dinner, a good movie or book and maybe a drive to look at cars.

    Fun post Mary...

    ReplyDelete
  12. We sat around the table after dinner and my daughter asked me what is that piece of cardboard covering the window behind your computer? I told her "One day dad came in and put it there because I had been wearing one of his baseball caps to keep the sun out of my eyes while I typed. He asked me if I knew what that cardboard was? I said, What? He said "It is LOVE." It was an act of love for my comfort. So what if it isn't pretty. Thanks for your lovely story at Tell me a Story.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I loved this post - just the right mix of truth and fun! No, I don't think I've kissed my hubby for a minute. I'm afraid I'd break down giggling! But, I do know that I probably need to show him more affection - he loves physical touch, too.

    And yes, I also hate those dumb commercials about the giant teddy bears. Honestly, does anyone really think that we would go so crazy over that?? I am also not a fan of the ads for the specialty strawberries. I went to that website once, and it cost like $20 for 6 of them. Puh-leeze! I'd much rather have...well, just about anything else!

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi there, Well Valentine's Day is long gone, it is good to stop and think of ways to bless our loved ones. Thank you for checking in on me today.
    Hugs, Noreen

    ReplyDelete
  15. As usual, you shared in a way that grabbed a lot of people and a lot of pieces were quickly and happily placed in. Thank you much! You are a blessing....and, again, I use the words "as usual". ;-)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review of Biblical Minimalism and Give Away

What does minimizing look like?  To the empty nester it may mean downsizing real estate.  To the co-dependent, it may mean pitching some toxic friendships they tend to collect.  I thought I had a handle on Biblical minimalism, but I wasn’t even close.  Biblical minimalism is much more than cleaning out a drawer and discarding unwanted things into a box to take to the thrift store. In her book, Biblical Minimalism, Cheryl E. Smith defines Biblical minimalism as “a complete, whole person release of anything unlike Jesus, a letting go of everything that hinders us from following Him wholeheartedly and single- mindedly , and a relinquishing of all that brings us under bondage to this earthly, very temporary life.” The author gives us a visual of a whole pie that is divided into eight slices.  Each slice describes our lives with areas to analyze to see if pruning or adjustment is needed.  I won’t name them all, but one example is the “emotional ...

Mama's Lipstick

I always wished I could do things with my mom like shop in the mall, share makeup secrets or go to the movies and watch romantic comedies.  My wish never materialized.     My mama behaved like a tomboy.   She loved baseball and pitched with a strong right arm.   She could care less about the latest fashion or the latest movies featured on the big screen.   She never polished her fingernails.    One day after elementary school, I walked into the house to find my mom all dolled up in front of the bathroom mirror, foundation crème, powder, eyebrow pencil and rouge all over the counter sink.  “Who are you?” I asked, thrilled to see my mama putting on the Ritz.  Makeup in place and blotted, she immediately took it off.  “I don’t like the way it feels,” she exclaimed. She retired in Arizona and protected her dry lips with a light rose lipstick, the color of natural lips, a step above ChapStick.  She wore it a few tim...

Abba's Lap

I noticed a behavior pattern in little Amy, twenty months old, that I want to imitate.  She moves fast engaging in one toddler activity after another spinning like a whirlwind from one room to another.  Yet, she pauses,  intermittently , long enough to get refreshed.   I want to be like this grandchild of mine because she knows where to go and how to get comforted. Amy moves at record speed, putting more miles on a pedometer in one hour than my accumulated weekly workouts at the gym.  She can build a skyscraper so tall, I wonder why those bright pink Lego’s don’t topple to the ground as she continues to stack just one more piece on top. I learned never to leave the room to get another cup of coffee.  Once, when I returned, I found her climbing past the couch with hands and feet reaching for the living room drapes. She has a consistent habit that I admire.  In the midst of her activities, as she moves robustly from one play...