Some Advice

Happy Monday from a bright and sunny, albeit chilly, Pasadena, Maryland.

A quick piece of advice...take it as you will, and for whatever it's worth coming from yours truly.

When it comes to relationships, be it marriages, domestic partnerships, or long-term-definitely-going-somewhere kind of gigs...ALWAYS carve out some time for one another, to spend some quality time together, just the two of you.

In the immortal words of one Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast...if you don't stop and look around every once in awhile, you could miss it".

So very true, in all aspects of life.

We are all busy. Jobs, looking for jobs, homes to keep clean, maintain, and update, kids, pets, friends, family. The list of things to do, places to be, and people to see is never-ending. It sometimes gets a little too easy to be distracted, to forget that special someone...to take them for granted.

You hustle and flow, and plow through the daily grind and that never-ending to-do list. It becomes routine. And next thing you know, you and that special someone hit a fork in the road and start down seperate paths. And the longer you continue down those paths without one another, the farther away from your relationship you get; and unfortunately, it seems to happen more often than not nowadays that more and more people take their seperate paths and eventually end their relationships.

While sometimes it is for the best, a lot of times it is tragic. And avoidable. All it takes is making time to step away from the daily grind and spend some time together. No kids, no housework, no nothing. Just the two of you doing whatever it is that you both enjoy, whatever it is that brought you together in the first place.

Make the effort. It's worth it. And for all those that think there will be time to spend together "later"...when the kids are grown, when the bills are all caught up, when the bathroom is painted, when the house is spotless, when the laundry is done, when the promotion is obtained...remember one very important thing...you're never promised tomorrow. So don't wait until later, because you might not have a later.

To young couples everywhere...spend time with your significant other, and seriously figure out who the two of you are together as a couple.  As one.  And just as important, take time and space to figure out who you are as an individual, because until you figure that out, you won't be a successful partner or better-half to anyone.

To newlyweds...enjoy being married, enjoy each other for awhile. Adjust before starting a family; because once the bundles of joy start blessing you, all priorities shift to the children.

For couples with young children...do stuff as a family, enjoy shaping the minds of your Littleheads, but do whatever you can to take a break, weekly, bi-weekly, or at the very least monthly, to go out with your partner...just the two if you...and make sure you're staying on the same path...together, hand-in-hand, side-by-side.

Relationships shouldn't be a job. They should just be. But they can't be anything without nurturing them with the most important - and readily available (with the right help) - building block - togetherness.

May all of your relationships stay awesome; help the cause by making sure to take the time for just the two of you to reconnect as often as possible without any distractions...ensure you're staying on the same path, side-by-side, by spending some quality time - together. Don't get caught in the hustle and flow and drift apart beyond hope of reconnecting.  Always take a moment and remember - and celebrate - what it was that brought you together in the first place.

Until next time...