An evening to remember

         It never ceases to amaze me how much the little things stick with you for years to come. How one little event can change a person's life, or draw a couple closer together. My husband and I had one of those events a few years back. We'd had a rough week at work and neither one of us was feeling too happy with the other, but our anniversary was the next day, so of course we had to do something. We hadn't been together but a couple years at that time, and times were rough, so money was tight, but we still wanted to try and do something special. After a few ideas were bounced around and tossed aside, we began to think maybe this would be the year that we just couldn't afford to do anything after all. About that time he suggested we just go rent a hotel room for the evening. It'd be something simple, but it would give us a chance to get away and just enjoy each other's company without having to be reminded of work or other stresses. For one night we could just focus on us. So that's exactly what we did. Join me now as I take a walk down memory lane.



         We packed light since we were just going to spend one evening away, picked up the phone and found a room that had what we wanted, then headed out for our little treat. I've always had the fantasy of making love in front of a fireplace, just something about the firelight and the crackling of the flames is such a temptation to me. To indulge this desire, John had found a room that did indeed have a fireplace. We got to the hotel and checked in, dropped our bags into the bedroom and then grabbed something to drink. We then sat in the living room area and talked for a while, just glad to be able to focus on us as a couple again instead of everything else around us.



         We ordered supper and continued to talk as we ate, both seemingly more relaxed than we'd been in months. As we cleaned up the supper remnants John lit the fire and we curled up on the rug in front of it, watching the show for a time. The fire danced and painted both of us in shimmering hues of yellow, gold, orange and white. The longer it danced the more I could just relax and curl into an embrace that had become so much a part of my own soul. It truly was a snapshot of paradise that evening.



         The room warmed up and so did we. I got to indulge in my fireplace fantasy that evening, and it really is an evening that I will never forget. The peace of that evening reminded us that no matter what life throws at us we can still find the time to just take a deep breath and relax. When we have grumpy evenings where we seem to forget to focus on our marriage, we have this gentle reminder of an evening when that was all we focused on.



         That one simple evening changed things for us so much that we have a fireplace in our home to this day, and I just love winter nights. Every time I light the fireplace I'm reminded of just how much one hug, one kiss, one special moment of time can ensnare my soul and show me just what the true priorities in life are. I am reminded to just take a deep breath, smile, and relax in the stillness before I go on to tackle whatever the day ahead throws at me. I say this event changed our marriage because, that was nearly seven years ago, and I still remember the gift that it gave us. It's amazing how one simple event can take us in a direction we never thought of.



         Thank you for joining me on this walk down memory lane, and I sincerely pray that every couple out there will someday have their own fireplace evening. Maybe not in the literal sense, but in the sense that you will each find some moment, some event, some memory that will draw you closer for years to come, and remind you of just why you first fell in love with your partner.