1: It's a Milestone
In this culture where divorce is a common occurrence, just the fact that you made it another year means that you've hit a milestone in your marriage. Even if things aren't perfect or the way you had hoped they would be, staying together for another year deserves a celebration.
2: It's a chance to connect.
Celebrating your anniversary can be a wonderful chance to re-connect as a couple. If life has been crazy and you feel like you can barely come up for air, taking time to celebrate as a couple can give you a break to connect and communicate with your husband.
3: It's a chance to reflect
One thing my husband and I often do on our anniversary is reflect over the past year – or even the past few years. By looking back, we are able to see how far we have come.
Reflecting gives us hope for the future when we consider some of the obstacles we've overcome as a couple.
Looking back is not always a bad thing – by reflecting and remembering, it can remind us of the strength we have in our marriage and encourage us to keep going.
4: It's an excuse to get away
Yes, get away! So many times, I talk to moms who tell me that their child is 5 or 6 years old, but they have not gotten away since before the child was born.
Certainly we all need to make our own parenting decisions, but I strongly feel that it is healthy – even necessary – for couples to get away once in a while without the children.
Your anniversary is a perfect chance to do that. Especially if you are celebrating your 10th or 15th anniversary – this is a great opportunity to go away for the weekend, or even longer.
Yes, you'll need to plan ahead and save up some money. But it is SO worth it. Investing in your marriage can make all the difference.
One of our fondest memories as a couple is when we went away for our 10th anniversary. We went to the White Mountains in NH and stayed at a lovely bed & breakfast. We got a good deal which included both dinners and breakfasts, so overall the cost was quite reasonable. We enjoyed the time to just focus on our marriage and not have to worry about the responsibilities of home and work life.
If you have an anniversary coming up, I encourage you to consider getting away as a way to celebrate.
5: It's a time to look towards the future
While looking back can be beneficial for your relationship, so can looking ahead. Taking a chance at least once a year to discuss your hopes and dreams for the future can be really fun.
This is especially true if you are in a difficult place in your marriage right now. If you've had some parenting challenges or you've been feeling unloved, taking time to think about how you'd like your relationship to look in the future can be an invaluable process. You may find this sparks bits of hope that you didn't anticipate.
Take time to think about how you'd like your relationship to look in the future.
Whether you are super excited for your next anniversary, or you're just praying you'll make it until then, I encourage you to set aside time to celebrate your anniversary.
Remember where you've been. Acknowledge where you are. Anticipate what's to come.
If you are finding yourself in this place of having some struggles in your marriage, and you want to begin focusing on what you can control, then I'd like to invite you to grab my marriage devotional.
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