Photo of the Day: Why Snowshoeing Is Good For Your Marriage
- Details
- Category: Photo of The Day: Pictures and Their Stories
- on Mon Jan 10, 2011
- by Mark Stephens on Mon Jan 10, 2011 - (2) Comments
Camera: Canon 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm | Setting: f/4, 1/500th sec, ISO 100
A number of years ago, I received a piece marriage advice that was hard to digest at first. I had met some friends to hike Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas. That night around the campfire, Alan and Jackie - über adventure-climbers who have grown children - relayed how they managed to stay married, raise a few children, and keep their climbing pursuits alive for 20 years.
"The marriage comes first," Alan said. He pointed back and forth to his wife and himself. "We love our kids, but they come second to our marriage. And they know that." Not everyone will agree. Despite his point-blank wording, I agree with him.
Jackie clinched it for me when she said, "Look, our kids grow up and move away after 18 or 20 years. Two of ours are already gone, but what remains is us, our marriage. That's why it's so important for us to prioritize what the two of us have as a couple. Because what unites us is more than just our kids."
I think I can hear you going, "WTF does this sappy stuff have to do with snowshoeing?" C'mon, put two-and-two together. Brooke and I took a day to throw down some miles in the snow together, just the two of us. Yeah, before you say it, I've heard of date nights before; I know we didn't have to go to these ends to spend some time together. But this is different from a mid-week date night: packing a backpack, making sandwiches, walking around the woods on a sunny day, completing a goal; these things make us feel good. We hadn't taken a just-the-two-of-us day hike in a long time. We'd forgotten how good they are for us. And our daughter got to spend the day getting spoiled to smithereens by a grandma. We all win.
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