Random Act of Kindness

It's time to take some action. Hopefully your relationship is strong and if not, it's time to put that aside for a bit and help someone else. If you look around, I am sure you can find someone not far from you that needs help. The older woman down the street that can't mow her yard very well, the family where both parents are unemployed, or maybe it's just your grandmother that can’t get out to the store very easy. I am sure when you start thinking about it there are several people around you that could use a boost up. Sometimes helping someone else is the best way to help ourselves.

My wife has told me several times about how lucky we are compared to some of the other couples she runs into. I agree with her. Sure there are a lot of things we would like to have, but we don't need them. Go out and do something for someone else with no expectations of a return. I think they call them random acts of kindness. Help someone load his/her groceries in to the car, stop and help someone with a flat tire, clean out your closet and donate all the clothes that you don't wear to charity. If you really think about it, we have an over abundance and it might even seem to others as if we are very rich when we see ourselves as unfortunate.

How can this help my relationship you might ask? Well if you’re asking that question, maybe you’re not ready to complete this activity. You should get a great sense of pride helping other people. That is the reward. Put that into a situation where both of you work together to help someone and you both get that feeling. Sharing that feeling with your partner is worth more money than you could ever make. I would love to hear about the two of you and how you helped someone out, so don't be shy. Share your stories with us.

Remember - sometimes the little things you do are the most appreciated thing you do!

Romance is in your hands.

I don't want to hear that you can't think about anything romantic to do for your partner. For starters start looking over these blog entries and pick one. Even if you don't do that just do something special for your partner that is where the love comes from. Do one of their normal chores or help out a little extra folding the clothes. The most simple gestures can be the most romantic ones of all. Don't shoot for the moon because it it a long way away, aim for your lover they are a lot closer.

Wonderful nights of cool air.

It is getting towards that time where we live that the nights are cooling off. The temperature drops form the hot times during the day to become quite nippy in the dark hours. This is a prime time to open up the windows and enjoy the clear crispy night air. Provided you don't live in the middle of a huge city or near a lot of noise. This is a time to listen to the quite sounds of the night. Crickets chirping, the wind blowing and the owls calling are all part of the night symphony that awaits you. Not to mention the perfect snuggling weather and the smells of the night air. Combined with the fact your partner is near you and you are experiencing this together it allows for a bond to be formed. A bond that goes beyond love and beyond friendship to actually combining the two into a relationship.

Ladies give in a do some guy things!

Ladies want to do something romantic for you partner? Try doing some quote guy things with him. I know in this day and age that sounds a little out of place. There are however things that men seem to prefer on average than women. On of the biggest ones is sports. Try to enjoy a game with him be it at home or if you can secure tickets to a game even better. Make it a date but use it more as a friendship building activity. Cheer, laugh and have a good time weather you are at home or at the game try to get into it. Ask him questions to try to understand the game if you don't but not to many questions as you don't want to turn in into a class. What if you guy doesn't like sports? Well then watch and see what activities he enjoys with his friends and ask him sometime to let you enjoy it with him. Maybe he like photography, if so go with him and let him show you how to take wonderful pictures. No matter what things he likes to do try it out it doesn't mean you have to do it all the time with him but make the effort to understand it. When we think about romance we most often think of kissing and dating. Finding common interests is a very romantic and can build a relationship or make it stronger in a hurray.

Trust

One of the most important things in a relationship is trust, everyone has heard this a million billion times. Not only is trust an important for finding someone to love but it is also important later in your relationship. Keeping a friendship in your relationship is a thing most people don't feel is that important. When you have trust in your partner you also view them as a friend telling them things that you would only tell a friend. This way the two of you can laugh and joke around together, which is a staple of any long term relationship. The days of co-habiting are numbered as people are starting to realize that life is way to short to be unhappy. Trust is also important in your sexual relationship. As your relationship grows you may want to try some different things in the area of sex. If you trust your partner you will have no problem telling them of the desires and fantasies that you have. This will create new dynamics in your sex life and in turn build an even stronger relationship between the two of you. Trust also comes into play as you get older and need that rock to stabilize you. You might need someone to take care of your and a trust worthy partner is the best at this. Life is not easy but with the trust of your partner it is definitely more fun and exciting.

The Double Date

Stop for a moment. I already hear you sighing, "Not a double date". I know all the feelings you’re going through. Maybe you can't stand her friends and she wants to strangle yours, and you don't want to waste an evening listening to either one of them. You don't want to be stuck without transportation, and what if you can't agree on anything to do. Well stop whining. First of all, both of you need your friends. This is very true, and maybe they won't make the best double date candidates. It is time to find some friends that fit with your relationship. Couples that have another couple that they are close to can make a special bond that might last a lifetime. Look around there might be a couple closer then you think that you would enjoy spending time with. Look for common interests. If you have children, look for parents of your children’s friends. They most likely will be close to your age, and obviously, if they take interest in their children, you will end up at a lot of the same functions.

When you find a couple that seems to fit the bill, ask them to do something in a group setting such as having a BBQ or joining you at a friend’s party. That way you can see if you get along outside of you other realms. Find something you can pair off with them and do. At a BBQ you might play ladder ball or horse shoes with the other couple to see how they interact with you. After spending some time with them get with your partner and see what she/he thinks about them. If both of you don't agree, then start over again looking for another couple to hang with. If you both seem to like spending some time with them then maybe it is time to see if they would like to go to dinner with you or to a local bar or coffee house. Find out about each other and what your likes and dislikes are. This will help you find something else you can do together sometime.

Having another couple you can count on is a big plus. If you get to know each other well, you could even help each other out in other ways - such as, taking turns watching the kids so you can have a night out. Maybe sometime you would need their help in an emergency situation. If you don't have any family around, they could keep an eye on your house while you were on vacation. Yes, the double date is a pain sometimes, but sometimes it can lead to a great relationship that will last a lifetime.

There are some web sites out now that match couples up to do things just like the dating sites, make sure you are extra careful if you want to use one. Make sure that everyone knows what you are expecting. You don't want to be sitting with a couple of swingers asking when you are going to swap unless you’re into that. If you have a couple that you are already friends with, you are lucky because they can be a great source of help no matter what you need them for. It's like having extra family around.