Quarantine Romance

From Free-Photos on Pixabay

We have been under a stay-at-home order for 5 weeks now due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Just being in the same house together doesn’t ensure a close, intimate relationship though; we must decide to take actions that bring us together. We decided to view this mandate to stay at home as an opportunity to find new everyday ways to romance each other.

MARK: I was surprised how excited I got when Mel asked me to take a ride to get Dunkin Donuts drive-thru so we could have some time away from the kids together. We were gone for only 45 minutes, but chatting just the two of us and enjoying a hot drink was special. It was truly a date as we held hands while we drove, and we smiled and laughed quite a bit. When we got back home, I felt refreshed and energized by this jolt of love.

MEL: A couple of mornings I’ve awakened to breakfast in bed! I opened my sleepy eyes to Mark holding our breakfast-in-bed tray beautifully set with eggs, sausage, sautéed veggies, fruit, and juice. There would have been a flower, too, if it were warm enough out for them to grow! Looking into Mark’s smiling face, I felt so cherished. As I ate, we chatted away, reminiscing about leisurely mornings spent in bed together during our early years of marriage. Mark’s thoughtfulness and effort really touched my heart, and we enjoyed connecting deeply during our walk down memory lane.

MARK: Mel has invited me to take many neighborhood walks, which is allowed under our state’s stay-at-home order. While on these walks, we talk about how we feel being in the middle of this pandemic. We also dream together about our future as we discuss travel destinations, home improvements, and retirement. This time to connect one-on-one as we take in a little sun and some fresh air lifts our spirits.

MEL: We’ve been quarantined with our young adult son and his girlfriend. As a result, our opportunities for lovemaking have been more limited. One afternoon, while the kids were gaming on the 2^nd floor, Mark invited me on a little “date” in the basement when he was going down to change the laundry. Talk about living dangerously! Taking this risk was exciting, the kids never knew it, and we felt like we were 23 again.

Whether you have been a couple for a short time or for decades, romance and dating each other energizes your relationship. If we are ‘stuck’ in the house due to a stay-at-home order, we can choose little ways to do this. Click on this list titled At-Home Dating for additional ideas. If you’ve found a fun way to romance your spouse, please post a comment to share with all of us.

Courtesy of Steve Buissinne on Pixabay

Comments

Great Sex!

Sex between a married couple is not only good, it’s very good. If you read the research and surveys, you will find that married couples experience better and more frequent sex than non-married couples. Married couples are healthier, happier, and live longer. When we went on a WorldWide Marriage Encounter weekend, we were more than a little surprised when a priest told us that our love-making is good, is important for us, and is important to the world. He encouraged us to “make mad passionate love!”
So, why has married sex become something else? Society and media portray sex for married couples as dull and lifeless, a tool used to manipulate, something to joke about, and something that - beyond the newlywed phase- gradually drifts away. We’ve been sold this bill of goods, and we often buy into it! What we really crave in our sex life is to give and receive something powerful- to experience the depths of our passion and love for each other, to be as intimate as possible. Our freq…

Advice From a Divorce Lawyer

Yes, this is a strange twist. We recently heard about James J Sexton's book, "If You're in My Office, It's Already Too Late." James is a divorce attorney from New York, who started noticing some patterns after 20 years of working with couples whose marriages were ending.

Marriage Manners Matter

"Fine!" and "Whatever!" These 2 powerful words have the incredible potential to bring nearly any discussion to a screeching halt. They send the insensitive message of "I don't care. Discussion over. Period. Full stop!" As married couples, we have probably used these or similar words. And, if we have raised children we have probably employed time out, taken the car keys or other forms of discipline.

Those 2 little words are not the focus of this blog.

Sex on Days Ending in 'Y'

Lovemaking is one of the most important aspects of a healthy marriage. Yet there are so many impediments and inhibitions to making love once those wonderful Honeymoon years are over.

Tone of Voice

Something that we’ve become increasingly aware of in our marriage is how our tone of voice so significantly affects our communication – for better or for worse! It is remarkable how something so seemingly small can make such a huge impact on whether our communication is healthy, productive, and enriching or debilitating, disheartening, and provocative. Believe it or not, tone of voice is huge. WE would go as far as to say tone of voice is at the root of most of the small hurts we experience in our relationship.
Perhaps it would be easier to make our case using an example. Recently, we were trying to get out of the house to go to church and be on time. I (Stephanie) have to admit I am typically the one who is running behind trying to get one last thing put away or rushing because I did not plan my time well. Paul will often playfully turn the hall light on and off letting me know he is by the door ready and waiting. Usually I will laugh it off and tell him I am coming. This particular…

The Couples Post

Search This Blog