Practical Tips for a Relationship

I was reading an ebook on Enhancing Your Love Life and I found a couple of practical tips that will work in any relationship. It is something that I need to work on all of the time.

** Cultivate togetherness - Plan to spend time together. The key now is to plan and to stand by that plan. Keep your commitments to be with your partner. If you work on this together and you will accomplish much more.

I have found that when I had a job where I traveled that I was lonesome all of the time. When I quit that job and my wife took a job traveling that I was still lonesome. I make it a point to spend time with her when she is home. We may not go out so any special place but like most men, I've found that just by being in the same room is spending time together. Men are like this, even if we are not talking, it is spending time together. Many women think this type of activity (or inactivity) isn't true quality time but for many men it is.

** Show affection! - There is great healing in your power of touch. Hold hands. Kiss in your car. Give your partner a massage. Spend time holding and caressing. Give your partner an extended hug every day; one that lasts several minutes. Make it a point to touch each other every day.

When I was growing up, my family was not a demonstrative family in showing affection such as hugging each other in greeting. When I brought the young woman that I was going to marry home to meet the family, she kind of bowled them over by hugging them in greeting or, in this case, meeting them. They were not used to PDA's (Public Displays of Affections). But over the years, my family has become more demonstrative in that we hug each other and just touch more than we did when we were younger. I believe that other spouses helped this cause also.

I now try to kiss my wife every day when she is home, not that it is a big chore but I used to forget this. I like to hold her hand when possible and I think it is more important now that when we were going together and when we were first married. We are not a couple again and not defined by our kids as when they were younger and in school and their activities.

By cultivating togetherness and showing affection towards each other, we can still have a strong relationship and as we get older, it is more important than ever.