Best Date Ever: Being With The One You Love!
Once upon a time in a city not so far away I met a man that would win my heart. He had a heart like I’ve never seen before. He was fun and funny, warm and caring, very charming, and full of adventure.
We had met at work and not long after married. My every moment was spent wanting to be with him. I even remember a colleague asked me, soon after my husband and I married, why I took my breaks to be with my husband. I said, “I married him because I want to be with him.” It was logical to me and I didn’t understand what he could not see.
I fell in love with a man I wanted to be with, spend the rest of my life with, and grow old with. We talked about everything; our dreams and hopes for the future, God, our faith and our values, the family we wanted, dog and all, wished for vacations and plans for the future. The time we spent together was better than chocolate or ice cream, and that’s good stuff.
Do you remember the commercial where the man says to the woman in a cozy log cabin, “I love you.”? She tears up and he says, “What? No one’s ever told you I love you before?” She says, “Not the right guy.” If you get “this,” you get “it.” That was me. Head over heels. I found my prince charming.
I remember the best advice I got when my husband and I were first married. One of our guy friends from work said to me, “Keep dating!” At 20+ I didn’t get, “Keep dating.” What did that mean? I mean, of course I am going to keep dating my husband. But, it was something that stayed with me forever.
Time goes by. Life is good. Raising a family, kids, busy schedules, taking the kids to soccer practices and games, music classes, children’s caravan, attending social events and family gatherings, in addition to work and school. Life got crazy, busy fast.
One day I said to my husband, “I feel like we are roommates.” Nothing was “wrong” with our marriage, per say, but we weren’t, dare I say, “dating.” Life just happened. Every day was good, except we were getting up day after day doing life without really connecting like we used to. We weren’t sharing in our deep conversations or spending alone time. We were either at work, with the kids, or doing some type of social activity. I wasn’t complaining. Life was good. I was “just saying.” What was I saying? I wanted more. More time with my husband. Alone!
I love February. It’s the month of love. It’s not only Valentines, it’s our anniversary month, as well, and where we get to say, “Thank you Lord for another year of marriage.” In this joyous, love filled month I want to share with you some best-date-ever ideas.
Best Date Ever Ideas
Karaoke double-date with my BFF from HS on my 30th birthday
Point Loma tide pools
Surprise date-night
Lunch-break dates
Friday ditch work dates
Sunday afternoon beach days during the summer months
Road trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium and dinner on the water
Sunsets on the beach and at the marina
And I am sure you can come up with the regular fab dates: bike riding, hiking, painting, movies, and dinner
Plus concerts and shows
Keep exploring. Be adventurous. Visit new places and try new things!
My niece shared: "My perfect ever date was probably when we went to the Seattle Symphony. It was a complete surprise which made things even more exciting. I got all dressed up. Then after the show we had a nice dinner in a new town. The night was filled with so many smiles and giggles. We had fun being fancy for a night since we are usually very casual. Ultimately, I think the best dates are where you're both experiencing new things or places together. It makes for great conversations on likes and dislikes and helps you know the person your with just that much better. Most of the time we go to dinner and play pool which we both really enjoy. Those nights are more about relaxing and also enjoying one another's company. Plus, we are both pretty competitive so it makes things really fun with a game of pool. I will never get tired of those kinds of dates!!!"
And a girlfriend shared her best date: "I like outdoors stuff, so some of my most fun are having a picnic date at Balboa Park, sitting near the Botanical Garden or the Zoo with how pretty the trees are."
Sometimes the best dates can come out of a simple road trip. Steven and I made a road trip several years back as we wanted to buy a particular vehicle that was over an hour away. On the way home we took the long, scenic route and ended up at a restaurant with a beautiful view of the ocean. I'll never forget the ride, listening to a Lou Armstrong CD. It turned out to be a spur of the moment best-date-ever.
It doesn't matter what you do or where you go. It's about being with the one you love.
That's the best-date-ever!
My beloved is handsome and strong, outstanding among ten thousand. Song of Solomon 5:10
