“This weekend we had our first date together since March. Not halfway through and the sitter texted that one of the kids was throwing up.
We headed home and had an hour drive to visit and laugh and dream. We talked about the future, we made guesses on how long until the rest of us caught the bug, and we contemplated how much extra to pay the babysitter for having to deal with a sick kid.
But here’s the thing. I’ve seen so much talk lately that the key to a good marriage is regular date nights. And I see so many women comment that feel defeated because for whatever reason, that isn’t possible for them.
Can I give you a little hope, friend? Date nights aren’t the only factor in a happy marriage. We just went 9 months without even one date night and are happier than ever.
We learned a few years ago what the important stuff in a marriage is. I’m not saying that date nights aren’t important, I’m just saying that it shouldn’t be a make or break in your marriage.
We learned that happy marriages are built on a firm foundation of faith. We run towards Jesus hand in hand. We make each other’s coffee, and never leave without a good kiss and an, ‘I love you’. We have tough conversations and we don’t bury our feelings down and hope that they’ll go away.
We give each other grace, even when we think the other doesn’t deserve it. We choose each other every day, even when it’s hard and we’re tired. We put in hard work every single day to make sure our marriage is a reflection of God’s love for us.
And while the idea of a weekly date night sounds incredible, it isn’t realistic in this season for us. And if it isn’t realistic for you either right now, that’s okay. We get to choose every day to date our spouse right where we are in the mundane of life.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Caitlin Henderson of Faith, Farming and Family. The article originally appeared here. Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best stories in our free newsletter here.
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