Is Your Marriage on Auto-Pilot?

Ah remember that honeymoon phase when you first fell in
love? You may have even been in the lust and
infatuation stage before you even realized you were in
love. You felt giddy, smitten, and were walking on
air. Your heart went pitter patter and your breath
was shallow whenever you were around your honeypie.
You were busy with work and responsibilities, but you
would always catch up later, at this phase you wanted
to spend all your waking hours with your sweetheart.

But then came love, then came marriage, then came
Junior in the baby carriage. And suddenly there are
bills to pay; places to be, repairs to be made and
you're just tired all the time. "So this is
marriage?!" you relent, with a sigh.

Whether you've been married 12 months, 12 years or 32
years, it doesn't have to mean the honeymoon is over.
Think back to the effort you made initially when you
were wooing your betrothed. You will get what you give.
If you give humdrum, day in day out, that's what
you'll get in return. If you give romance and spark,
guess what you'll get in return?

Forgot how to do that? No worries. Here are ten
suggestions to help jump start your hibernating
marriage.

1. Drop off a cup of coffee and an apple to your spouse
at work. Don't stay; just say you appreciate the hard
work and thought he/she might be ready for a break.

2. Place a note in the sole of his/her shoes "You're my
heart and sole."

3. When your spouse gets home from work have a picnic
all prepared - in the bedroom. Picnic blanket spread
across the bed, beverage of choice, shrimp,
strawberries, bread. If the kids are around, have a
pizza waiting for them and tell them that the parents
need some time to discuss some things.

4. If you live in a winter climate, take your
wife's/husband's clothes (assuming it's not a suit or
dress) and put them in the dryer first thing in the
morning. Getting dressed into warm snuggly clothes in
the dead of winter is a real treat.

5. Leave a love note in the purse or briefcase.

6. Participate in one of your spouse's activities that
you'd rather not. Go fishing with him, go to a play
with her, walk the golf course with him, take her
shopping - just try it. Even if it's not the time of
your life, the fact that you wanted to do something
he/she enjoys will speak volumes.

7. Go for a walk and for gosh sakes, hold hands!

8. Have some sexy pictures taken of you. Even if you
use your own digital camera in your spouse's favorite
outfit (or lack of one!) Most cameras are equipped
with self timers. Leave it in the lunch box or have it
waiting in the car with a note "meet me for lunch at
noon at xxx."

9. Switch chores. If you don't normally take out the
trash, do it this week. If it's usually her job to do
laundry, just do a load.

10. Compliment your spouse often. Don't say it if you
don't mean it, but there is always something positive
you can say. Whether, "I appreciate you working hard
every day for us." Or "That dinner was fantastic."
"That outfit makes you look really hot." Whatever - so
long as you're sincere and you keep them coming!

Hopefully this has given you a start. Please give it
some thought. Your random acts of kindness need not be
time consuming nor expensive. Just remember, a little
goes a long, long way!