Romance can last a lifetime. One of the most important relationship tips for a lifelong marriage is romance.
Just yesterday, I took my 9-year-old granddaughter to the ice skating rink so she might practice for her competition. Her home rink was closed, so we had to go to a different rink than usual. During the drive there we had time to talk. She was clearly excited to be practicing on a different rink. After we arrived at the rink, she took some time to warm up before her practice. As she was stretching her muscles I couldn’t help but notice an older, quite mature couple gliding around the ice arm in arm. They moved as smooth as silk, holding on to each other and moving along the ice effortlessly. I couldn’t keep my eyes off them. What was so special about what I saw? My granddaughter finished her practice time, and as we were taking off her skates, I noticed the couple at the next table. My curiosity was pulling me like a magnet to them. I had to ask. “Excuse me, but I couldn’t help but notice you both on the ice. It was beautiful. How long have you been skating?”
Here are the answers I received: “My husband taught me. He has been skating for 50 years. We have been married for 74 months and we celebrate our anniversary every month on the same day.”
It was so clear they were in love and it even more evident that they had romance in their lives. Romance can be alive as long as it is nurtured. The flame can burn with intensity and be a lifetime gift. Maybe going to this rink today was a blessing, so that I could see romance in the raw. This picture confirmed my passion and my dedication to helping couples maintain and keep the romance in their lives.
Truly – sometimes it is the little things that happen without any planning that deliver life’s messages. Here it was: Romance, Love, Caring, Respect: all ingredients for a beautiful relationship right in front of my eyes. So why is it so hard for some couples to keep the fire burning? What did this beautiful couple have that others find so difficult to achieve? I asked the couple more questions and they were gracious enough to share the ways they keep the flame of romance burning. He said he makes her coffee each day and helps around the house. Seemed simple, but I knew there was more. I could see it in their eyes. I want to share this with you. I believe with all my heart that: Romance can be learned. Romance can be nurtured. Romance can last. It takes living each day fully in the present. It takes acknowledging the positives. It takes appreciation for the haves instead of the have nots. It takes doing instead of saying. It takes making it happen.
It takes “work” But if the work of building a relationship transforms into the beauty on ice that I witnessed today, I’d say, “Keep it up forever,” wouldn’t you?
