The Joy Of Connecting
The Joy Of Connecting
Rediscovering the joy of reconnecting with your significant other
My husband and I spent three weeks on holiday together during the summer.
The two of us after a fantastic summer that saw our boys plus girlfriends holiday with us.
We shared the joy of being just us; I didn't appreciate how much we needed that time.
We laughed, ate, drank, walked and exercised, enjoying each other's company and rediscovering each other.
It wasn't like we'd become disconnected or lost; life simply beats you down, especially this year.
Sometimes, it is one long slog, with the light at the end of the tunnel getting more distant.
"It is time now for you two to have a life. We all love our children, but the time comes when it is time to fly the nest," said my mother.
The summer made me realise how much we do for our children.
As a parent, you don't think about it; you get on with parenting and support your children, doing all you can to help them.
With my younger son now in his second year at University and the other studying and training to be a solicitor, it's likely another two years before we experience ‘the two of us.’
That’s subject to jobs, cost of housing/living and wages. It’s not easy being a young adult, and is certainly different from the eighties.
I left home, went to University and never came back.
That has all changed the cost of living, making it prohibitive for young people to move on with their lives and move forward; hence, offspring are forced to live with their parents.
So I understand how a marriage falters, stagnates and drifts. We are managing our children into their late twenties when we should think of slowing down and retiring.
One or both of you are so preoccupied with work, money, and kids that there's little time for each other.
Despite busyness and life woes, we've come through it together from operations, work, and financial issues.
We learn new things like photography classes, exercise, and mostly, we laugh because it keeps us sane.
I cannot underestimate the joy of being a parent, and I embrace it with an open heart, but my mum's words ring true, and having time just the two of us made me appreciate our relationship more.
Relationships bring a sense of mental and emotional stability to our lives.
Human beings need connection both physically and emotionally.
We feel connected when we are genuinely in love, meet up with a good friend, walk in nature and have a spiritual relationship or connection with god.
Human connection helps us to thrive and survive and provides fulfilment relationships that enrich our lives.
I was taught to be independent and self-sufficient, but we are social animals, and interdependence is far healthier than independence.
Relationships are like trees joined at the roots; the branches represent the independence to pursue hobbies and interests while maintaining your authentic self by feeling safe and supported.
Having someone by your side helps our mental well-being; knowing someone is by your side is comforting, yet loneliness and isolation are at epidemic levels.
Social media is designed to connect us but has succeeded in making many people feel lonely and sad.
Having that one person you can trust and confide in, who accepts you for who you are and allows you to reveal yourself, is fundamental to our development and instrumental in making us feel loved and secure.