What do you enjoy doing? It might be hiking, watching football, sipping tea, or flower gardening. We all have interests of some kind, with some being quite unique. One of my sons is a veterinary technician. When he first began school to pursue that career field, I think that he figured he would enjoy working with cats, dogs, and other animals. However, as he got into it, he discovered an unknown love for fish – freshwater, saltwater, all kinds of fish. As a result his aquarium collection continues to proliferate.
Husbands and wives also have varied interests – and sometimes the differences of those preferred hobbies can lead to extremely separate lives. In order to combat that drift, I have seen couples make very intentional efforts in joining together to pursue common activities. Certainly they maintain separate hobbies as well, but by learning the art of self-sacrifice, they have discovered an entirely new level of connection and intimacy.
My wife is not a big snow activity person – such as skiing or making snow angels in the snow. Therefore, snowshoeing did not initially sound appealing to her. Yet, when she went with me, she discovered that she loved it and now we share this activity frequently in the winter months. As a guy, shopping at Home Depot intrigues me – clothes shops and boutiques, not so much. However, when we go on trips, I have learned to shoe shop, clothes shop, and home furnishing shop with my wife. While I may sometimes look for the “husband’s chair” as I call it, while she explores, I have grown to enjoy those outings with her.
You see, it is not really about the activity as much as it is about being together. We continue to find fresh ways to enjoy doing meaningful things together and, more importantly, to simply enjoy each other’s presence.
This week’s tip – sit down with your partner and make a list of things that you each enjoy. Find three things that you could try and engage in together. However, make the focus to relish your time with each other. I would love to hear what kinds of activities you come up with.