"Baby, I Wouldn't Trade You for a Sow and Seven Pigs."
Average Rating: Not rated
[0 Comment]"Ole King Kong was a little bitty monkey compared to my love for you."
This is my husband's attempt at amoré;. He thinks he's quite the Romeo when he quotes this line from a song by country singer George Jones. I think he expects me to be swept off my feet at the comparison of a large primate and his feelings for me. When he's feeling exceptionally fond of me and appreciative of my presence in his life, he'll exclaim, "Baby, I wouldn't trade you for a sow and seven pigs."
As you can imagine, my heart melts.
Often I see magazine covers boasting articles such as "25 Ways to Rev Up the Romance in Your Marriage." This is a great concept—except that the lack of romance normally lies with the husband. Men don't typically read the women's magazines in which these types of articles are found. Now, if you could get the same article in the Bass Pro Shop fall catalog, there might be a chance, although slim, that he'd read it.
Nevertheless, I still find myself reading the articles for tips to jumpstart my romance. While in the grocery store check-out line several weeks ago, I picked up a magazine that had the secrets to romance, or so they claimed.
Nope, won't work
First, the article suggested that you and your spouse start dating again on a regular basis. While a good theory, the experiments attempted by the Boniol and Boniol scientific team (that's me and my husband, in case you didn't follow) have found that this approach isn't always successful.
If you're fortunate to find a babysitter not already busy on a Saturday night, then you must agree on the date itself: dinner and a movie, perhaps. But Hubby wants to go to a place where you can throw peanut hulls on the floor. I'd like to dine in a place with subtle lighting and cloth napkins folded creatively in the water glass.
Whereas I'd like to see something in the category of The Lake House, he rates movies according to how many things get blown up, or how many people jump out of speeding trains, planes, or automobiles. Almost everyone dies in the end and there's very little dialogue. That's because with all the noise from the guns and bombs, you couldn't understand it if it were included. So for us, date nights don't solve our romantic dilemma.
The next suggestion in the article was to participate in a hobby together. This one is completely out of the question. His hobbies always include animals. Some alive, some dead, most skinned and gutted before it's all over. I prefer attending the theater or visiting a book store or coffee shop.
I put down the article, a bit depressed. Would my husband and I never reach the romantic heights?
Romantic notions
On my way home, I realized maybe I'd been looking at romance the wrong way. For instance, my husband and I attend church together every week. Sharing our faith does more to cement our marriage bond than hundreds of evenings alone at the movies. Knowing that our lives are connected by Someone so much bigger and more powerful than we are gives us a sense of security and comfort. It goes beyond what we say or do.
Originally published in: Marriage Partnership, 2006, Fall, Page 44
More from By Christy Boniol:
Kyria.com | Books
Join the Kyria.com Community!
Become a member to have access to the following:
- Full access to the bimonthly Kyria digizine, each issue focusing on a spiritual discipline or theme
- 50 percent discount on all of the downloadable resources in the Kyria Store
- Hundreds of members-only articles for thoughtful, influential women
downloadable guides
Sabbath Rest in a World of Stress
Practical insights for how to live a life that honors the spirit of Sabbath-rest.
The Mentoring Series: Nancy Ortberg
Discover leadership principles from a well-known author and respected leader.Browse More Guides
back to top
Average User Rating: Not rated
Rate & Comment on this article *