Keep the Spark Alive

I know marriage is not easy, especially when you add kids to the mix.  But it saddens me so much to talk to people who seem to have just given up on having a successful or happy marriage.  I am not talking about extenuating circumstances where there has been unfaithfulness or other major issues.  I'm talking about just your every day married couple who has been married for 2 years or 30 years and don't have any kind of spark or even friendship left with their spouse. 

I have had the chance to observe many married couples and along with many other things I feel like one of the keys to happiness in a marriage is keeping the spark alive.  This doesn't mean you have to get it on 7 days a week.  It doesn't mean you have to have weekly date nights.  It just means that you have to remember what you love about that person and keep it at the forefront of your mind when things start to get stagnant.  And it means you have to actually work at your marriage.

Anyone who has been married for more than a few years knows that marriage is hard work.  Mine is far from perfect.  But I know that when we do have those sporadic date nights, a long one on one conversation or just a good laugh together it connects us.  That connection is what keeps marriages going.  It makes us realize why we love the person we chose to spend a life with.

I hope if you get anything from this post it is that you should try to connect with your spouse and remember what made you fall in love them all those years ago.  If you have lost that spark get it back.  Don't give up and don't let things get stagnant.  I saw a great quote yesterday:

"Decide what makes you happy and fight for it." 
 

When Garrett and I are empty nesters I know I would much rather be living with my best friend than just a roommate.  And I choose to fight for our marriage and keep the spark alive!

I love Luke Bryan's song, "Do I".  You can watch the video below.

This is the kind of marriage I want when I'm 80.

And a final thought...

~Jewels*