Have you two ever chased a rainbow? If you do not have it, give it a try. It could become one of your rituals.
The rainbow is a symbol of hope and faith throughout the world and one of my favorite symbols. I remember seeing rainbows in the sky and take our children on car rides to find the end of the rainbow.
Even as a child I recognized the reality of having to put up with storms to be rainbows, but I think I've heard the phrase "no rain, no rainbows "There are some years when we were visiting our children in Hawaii. Chasing rainbows is something Bob and I continue to do our children were grown and launched. it was a simple ritual that was not only fun, but we recalled that together we could manage the storms in our lives, if the storms were financial, broken heart, or during periods of excessive stress.
When I mention the rituals, I do not mean cultural rituals, spiritual, or historical. I mean private and personal rituals.
rituals in your marriage may be silly, fun, and playful. They should be just between the two of you and often touching and meaningful.
Different for each married couple, personal rituals are these two little things you do that you repeat on a regular basis - whether daily, monthly or yearly. personal rituals are a way to connect with another, reaffirm your love for each other, and show that you care.
John M. Gottman, Ph.D. and Nan Silver: "Creating informal rituals where you can connect emotionally is important in a marriage."
Source: Gottman and Silver. The Seven Principles for Working marriage. 1999. pg. 250.
Dr. Carol Bruess, author of What Happy couples Do . "At the core, what rituals do is they give you a sense of history, predictability, playfulness or something to look forward to "??
Source: Autum Shrum. "Keeping love alive: Couples Say Unions Rituals Keep Happy." Florida Today 31/08/08.
Examples of personal Wedding Rituals
- Hide love notes to each other.
- Set aside time to simply enjoy the calm with each other.
- Leave a fresh flower every day.
- Call each other at a specific time each day.
- Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate in bed with each other every morning.
- Have a secret code to want to have sex.
- Keep hands when driving through a tunnel.
- Watch the first storm of the winter season at the beach.
- Add another a hug every morning.
- Press one of the hands of the other before going to sleep each night.
- Tell a toast to each other every night.
- Create special nicknames for each other.