I was reading an article the other day, the contents of the article were based off a question that was asked; “What did you admire the most about your parents?”
I found that the responses from the adult children were both interesting and moving all at the same time. They made me pause and think about my own relationship with my husband. After pondering my thoughts for a moment, I wondered how our kids viewed our relationship; was it one to be admired?
In the article, I noticed a variety in the level of affection each person described their parents having for one another. However, I found there was a common denominator for each of the excerpts, which explained the individual’s observation. They all seemed to describe an intentionality for spending quality time, purposely made by the couples.
Qualities For An Admired Relationship
The list below are some of the key points I acknowledged from the responses the children shared about their parents:
- Engage frequently in conversation
- Laughter – (Their dad would always make their mom laugh.)
- Monday night was date night
- Having fun together was a priority
- Dancing
- Called each other every day at lunch
- Complemented (and complimented) each other
- Good and gentle to one another
- Shared hobbies – (played games and gardened together)
- Unconditional love for each other
- Commitment – (They were like penguins which mated for life.)
- Still kissed in their golden years
- Dad told us every night that he loved our mother.
- They shared a Martini
- They haven’t killed each other.
After reading the above list, do you feel your relationship shows any of the qualities that they admired?
Do You Have a Lack of Affection And Connection In Your Relationship?
Unfortunately, not all parents display such a positive level of affection and connection for each other. However, I think the list above are qualities we can each learn something from in order to help improve our relationship in the future.
In today’s world we have so many unhealthy influences which aide in the turmoil and neglect of our relationships. For example: technology, social media, the work environment, and the voice of culture saying we need to keep busy doing anything. In my opinion, these examples are part of the reason for our culture’s decline when it comes to relationships. It seems like we spend more time staring into a screen than we do staring into the eyes of the people we love. Although this is true for many, it is never too late to make the changes needed to better our relationship.
What To Do If Your Relationship Is Caught Up In The Web Of Life
If you are feeling caught up in the web of life and you feel your relationship is not showing the qualities that are admired because of it; my suggestion is to plug into some resources that can help you break free from the slumber life has you caught up in.
Here are a few suggestions that might help:
- Read your Bible – God’s word is filled with wisdom on relationships.
Scripture Verses For The Marriage Relationship
- Focus On The Family – Website to help families thrive with different resources from videos, podcast, blogs, books, counseling tools.
- Family life today – Website Helping families pursue the relationships that matter most.
- The DNA of Relationships For Couples – Author: Dr. Gary Smalley
We have an obligation to God, our children and society, to be couples of integrity and ones to be admired.
I would love to hear from you what qualities you admired in your parents. Share with us in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading Inspired Talk Today.
