• Marriage & Keeping Intimacy

    How To Show Appreciation To the Love of Your Life

    Growing up, my family had the best tradition at Thanksgiving. Gathered around the table, we would each take our turn and share what we were most thankful for that year. My brother was always funny, as he’d take the opportunity to poke fun at everyone for things that happened throughout the year. But then, right at the end, he’d hit us with the sentimental zinger that always made me and Mom cry. Dad and Mom always said they were thankful for the same thing every year: Family. I don’t remember what I said, but I recall how those words of appreciation reminded us that were weren’t just four people existing…

  • Marriage & Keeping Intimacy

    Beautiful Picture

    The other morning my husband and I were rushing. As always. I’m betting that you can relate. I was finishing up my make-up while mentally preparing for my first meeting. And there he was, bending down to give me his goodbye kiss. This time of morning is always a highlight. He left – and it struck me. I hardly remembered that kiss, and while I thought I’d said “I love you,” I wasn’t sure. I thought for a second, literally dropped my make-up to the floor, and ran down the stairs, catching him as he pulled out of the drive. His handsome face was priceless as I ran to the…

  • Marriage & Keeping Intimacy

    Scratch That

    I sometimes have a foggy memory. Sometimes I can’t always remember the details, the dates, or the story.  This story, though, I remember. I remember everything. I remember because it’s when I knew that I was my husband, Bobby’s, priority. Bobby, is a Car Guy. How do I know? Well, let’s see. 1. He forms instant, unspoken friendships with anyone driving the same make and model. Two matching cars pass on the highway and suddenly he’s waving like they’ve shared Christmases together. 2. He knows every gas station within fifty miles that sells top‑tier fuel. And yes, he has opinions about them. Strong ones. 3. For him, a car isn’t…

  • Marriage & Keeping Intimacy

    Waste Time Wisely

    If you’re me, sometimes you feel guilty because of all the tasks you haven’t completed. Then, I’m reminded that it’s good – no, right – to waste time wisely. A few weeks ago, I was on a conference call discussing the software, KRONOS. One attendee was from Greece, and just like the way Italian chef, Giada De Laurentiis, says the word “spaghetti,” I could tell KRONOS was a Greek word just by the way it rolled off his tongue. So, being the nosy sort, and because, well, it was a conference call, I googled it. There are two Greek words about time. Chronos measures time by the clock. It’s quantitative, measured…