Editor's Letter: Forgoing the Fireworks – Marriage Is About the Little Things (Plus What's Trending On 30Seconds This Week) by Elisa Schmitz
My husband and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary on July 4th. We got married on a sunny day that ended with fireworks – not a bad way to put an exclamation point on the first moments of our new life together.
While fireworks may have made our wedding day extra special six years ago, these last 16 months have shown us more than ever that marriage is not about fireworks. Marriage is about the little things that happen every day that have the power to drive you apart or bring you closer together.
For a couple used to being in perpetual motion because of parenting, family, business, travel, giving back and more, the pandemic drastically altered our life – with no advance notice. We went from a very “noisy” life to a very quiet one. And the beauty is that, now, it’s in the quiet moments where our marriage finds the most meaning.
Relationships take work and, more than ever, they require care. We used to travel the world, and now we travel the neighborhood. We used to attend galas, and now we tend to our garden. We still go on dates, but the dates are different: they're quieter, closer, more in tune with the other’s needs. Outside challenges are always there, and we face them together. We take life as it comes, and course correct as needed.
What’s the secret? Gratitude. We both think we’re the luckiest spouse in the world, and neither takes the other for granted. Ever.
I’m grateful for the little things: He makes me coffee, I bake him chocolate. He holds my hand, I cut his hair. He grills me salmon, I make him rhubarb strawberry crisp (that was an anniversary gift to him – never made rhubarb before, it was delish!).
So for now, we’re forgoing the fireworks. Instead, we’re committed to learning more about each other and growing together. We’re grateful for every moment, because we realize the gift of our love.
Who are you are grateful for? Make sure to let them know.
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