Almost every weekday morning, I exchange to-do lists and done lists with two Success Team buddies. And almost every Wednesday morning, I break into a grin when I see “Wednesday walk to breakfast.”
It’s a special tradition for this woman and her husband, a break in their work days, which start very early. Traditions like this strengthen marriages. They help avoid drifting apart during the years when work demands too much of you. They make it harder to ever get tempted into an affair.
Traditions like this also strengthen lives. They add to the meaning in our lives and our satisfaction with the lives we live. This tradition combines exercise, being cared for, eating, and an opportunity for casual or deep conversation. Without a husband, a wife, or a life partner, traditions like this one are difficult to start and to maintain.
Do you and your mate have a tradition like Wednesday Walk to Breakfast? Tell us about it, please. It may be exactly what someone else’s marriage (and life) needs.
Why Be Married? For the Wednesday Walk to Breakfast
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When there’s trouble in a marriage it’s tempting to think that something big needs to happen to resolve the problems, an affair or divorce for example. During a rocky time in our marriage it turned out to be the small traditions that turned things around. Jim and I started spending one day of each weekend doing things that needed doing such as laundry and housecleaning. We spent the other day of the weekend indulging ourselves. Depending on the season we’d go hiking, biking or skiing. On the way home we’d stop at “The fish ladie’s.” We lived on the coast of Maine at the time and “The fish lady” was a truck parked on the side of the road selling freshly caught seafood.
We have other traditions now and they all contribute to our shared experience. They all add up to intimacy, affection, and appreciation.
Instead of bailing out when things get tough, try walking to breakfast together.
So true, Sue. The traditions bring us closer and the cues they create that tell us when to come closer together reduce the effort of staying close.
My husband & I have been married for a little over a year & traditions have been very important for us already. (some traditions starting even before our marriage) It’s true that it strengthens our lives. One of my favorites: if we go anywhere & there is a photobooth we run in & take a picture. I have stacks of them. I write the date & where we took the photos on the back. its a couple of minutes of making silly & kissy faces & it makes us happy. & for some reason when we walk out of the photobooth we can’t keep our hands off each other! we ended up having a photobooth at our wedding & that was SO FUN!