Recently my sweet husband came up behind me and whispered in my ear, “Why don’t we go out for a romantic evening? Just the two of us?”
We downsized not too long ago, and moving out of that house was also a way of paring down the number of people who lived in our home. We had as many as eleven at one time, including dogs and young children. So with only four people, it sometimes seems very quiet.
But the fact of the matter is, living with a sweet but intrusive 90 year-old-mother, and a precious but clingy developmentally delayed daughter, and often having the grandkids over, and the demands that are inherent in a large extended family, we sometimes look at each other and realize we haven’t had ‘alone time’ in a while. So my ever-thoughtful husband thought it might be time for us to get away for an evening.
As we started discussing where we might go, it got me to wondering what makes for a Romantic evening? Is it the place we might select? Is it the ambiance? The food? The time of day? Because as I started thinking of all the places we might have dinner, what struck me was that it didn’t make any difference where we went, we would have a romantic evening together no matter where we were. I spent a lot of time thinking about why that is, and here was my conclusion.
It is NOT about the location, the candles, the food, the music, the ambiance. It is really about making the other person feel special. It is about making them your priority. It is about turning off the cell phone and any other electronic device and paying attention only to them. It is about having a respectful tone with them, and caring about what they have to say. It is about listening and making eye contact, and having as few distractions as possible. It is about making them feel as important in your life as they really are, and it’s about continually reigniting the flame.
So it isn’t about going to the Briarhurst Manor (although that is probably where I’ll choose!), but it is about being in the moment. Whether on the beach, in a restaurant, having a picnic on a blanket, or a candlelit dinner anywhere – the most important component of it all is respect.
