I traveled quite a bit more last year than I ever have before since Michael and I have been together, and I plan on traveling more this year. I realize we really haven’t been apart very much at all in our marriage, many couples I know must remain apart for extensive amounts of time for work or even military obligations and I admire how strong they keep their relationships during these separations. Everyone has their own way of making these work and Michael and I have had to figure out to make ours work.
As many of you know Michael is a very quiet man. To be honest, phone conversations can even be tough so we don’t communicate much while I’m gone. So when I get home we make it a point to converse for a while and go over everything we missed in between. One of the best ways that works for us is playing cards. It’s old fashioned and simple, but it’s a great way for us to sit at a table with each other while still keeping our hands busy and have great conversation. The two of us have a hard time just sitting on the porch or on the couch, even if we are talking to each other. We needed something else to think about. Playing some sort of card game has really helped us communicate in our most comfortable way.
Actions speak louder than words, but we have found that we still need the words in our relationship. Michael does so much for me and my business; his actions constantly prove he loves me. However sometimes the words still need to be said and we have found this gives us the quiet moment for words to come out and feelings and thoughts can be shared. Feel free to share your favorite ways to open the door for discussions in your relationships!