Memorial Day

I normally spend Memorial Day grubbin’ with family while enjoying some much needed time off from work. And while today was no exception, this year Memorial Day evoked a newlywed-related revelation which forced its way into my brain:

Memorial Day is for remembering the good stuff.

As a newlywed couple, you will both experience many “firsts” during the first year and just like a baby getting their first set of teeth, some of these firsts can be painful! It is so easy to focus on these negative “firsts”, but you must keep things in perspective. To borrow from the church song, your “good days outweigh the bad days”. There are plenty of kind acts, thoughtful words spoken, and funny moments shared which occur everyday in a marriage and these deserve our full focus - not the dirty dishes left in the sink!

In the devotional book “Praying for Our Marriage”, the author points out that developing a positive focus must be learned like any other habit.. With practice and prayer, we can teach ourselves to spend less time complaining and more time enjoying one another.

So this Memorial Day, I’m focusing on remembering all of those great things that I’ve experienced with my husband during our first year instead of focusing on the dirty clothes that never seem to make it into the hamper.

Happy Memorial Day!