Do you remember that sensation of first falling in love? There’s nothing that compares to the feeling of finding your true love, and knowing that this is the person you want to spend your life with. But as we all know, our honeymoon phase love for each other may not be shiny and new forever. As that shine matures into deeper love, how can we honor our love for each other and remind our partner that we value them?
As time goes on we grow to depend on “our” person and we get accustomed to their constant presence. When life gets difficult and problems distract, it’s easy to forget what it once was like to be without them. We get irritated, we get tired, we get angry. We even sometimes take out our feelings on those closest to us.
Our significant others do so much for us, and they never stop being special. Yet, we still sometimes forget to treat their presence like the special gift that it is. This is when relationships can begin to feel stale and difficult, like you’ve lost the spark you once had.
If you reach this point, don’t worry! It’s a natural pit-stop on the long road that is a life-long marriage. That spark always exists inside of all of us, and you and your partner can reignite it together. The best way to do this is simple: show gratitude! Show gratitude when they make you a cup of coffee, show gratitude when they hold open the door for you, show gratitude when they listen to you vent about your day. There are so many ways to show gratitude – picking up their favorite candy bar at the store, filling the gas tank when it’s almost empty, writing them a small note to let them know you love them… These gestures are all small reminders of your appreciation, and can make a world of difference in your partner’s day and your relationship as a whole!
A successful marriage is maintained through appreciation. It keeps the foundation strong, it keeps the spark alive. So if you haven’t yet, remember to show gratitude to your partner today! 🙂
