Newly Weds

When Jeff and I were first married we really liked to go on walks.  (Actually, we really liked to go on walks together before we got married.  I think that almost every date ended in at least a short walk.)  But after we were married, I really began to appreciate how much I loved going on walks with Jeff.  It was the perfect atmosphere for talking.  We could talk about all sorts of things.  Things that make us laugh, things that make us want to cry, things that are frustrating, or irritating, or downright infuriating.  I've heard that the first year or two of marriage is tricky because there are so many "things" to work out.  Decisions that need to be made as you blend two different people into one family.  But, for us, we skipped the tricky part and just did a lot of walking.  If I was frustrated with the socks that were on the floor, I could bring it up during one of our walks.  The nice thing is, if you get mad when you are walking, you just walk faster.  So instead of ever yelling or arguing about things, Jeff and I just got some good exercise.  The best part is, by the end of the walk, things had usually resolved themselves, so we were always on good terms with each other.  It works for all sort of other things too.  When Jeff's mom was really sick and we needed an outlet, Jeff and I walked and talked.  When we needed to decide where to go to Grad School we walked.  When we didn't know what to do with our "terrible two" we walked.  Lots of decisions were made as we walked and talked. 

It got harder to go on walks as our kids got more plentiful and older.  When we lived in Pennsylvania we would push a kid in a stroller and then send two more on their bikes as we walked around the neighborhood.  The only problem was, a lot of times we ended up carrying a kid and a bike home!  But we still found time to walk. 

When we moved to Michigan we didn't have any really good walking areas, and the weather wasn't great for walking, so our walks became fewer and fewer until we just plain got out of habit. 

I didn't even notice how much I was missing that time alone with my husband until this week when he suggested that we start going on walks again.  With the kids tucked in bed, we walk up and down our street.  We can walk as long as we want and we can TALK.  The first night out, it was exhilarating.  I almost felt like a newly wed again (except for the 6 kids that we were talking about).  But it was so great to connect.  We have walked every night since, and I don't ever want to stop!