Shared experiences are a powerful force in our world. There are defining events across regions and nations that give people a bond. For example, most Americans will all remember what it was like during the Arctic Blast of 2014. These types of shared experiences are so important in your married life.

As men, we’re faced with a lot of demands on our time. We want to spend time with our wife and our family, but we also have responsibilities to our work, our social organizations, and even ourselves. I’ve written recently about goals and time management as a way to address this delicate balancing act that we take on. Yet, despite these demands, it doesn’t relieve us of our primary responsibility to our wives. We must work to spend quality time together and have shared experiences with her.

A shared experience with your wife can be as simple as a night in watching a movie, or as complex as a road trip. It may or may not involve your children. An investment in time with your wife to have these shared experiences can produce many benefits for your marriage.

• It gives you a common language. Nothing is better than being with a friend and making the perfect movie reference at the right time. It makes a moment richer and deepens your bonds. Multiply that relational effect by 10, and that’s the result you’ll have with your wife. By being able to communicate in a more unique way about things you have shared, you will draw closer to one another.
• It reaffirms her value. Time is perhaps the most expensive investment we can make in something. By giving your valuable time to your wife, you’ll show her in a concrete way that she is a valuable part of your life.
• It gives another opportunity for communication. Communication within your marriage is probably quite utilitarian. You share information about menu plans, schedules, and household tasks that must be accomplished. When you take yourselves outside of the normal setting, you allow for different types of communication to take place. This is where you both share your hopes and dreams.

You can never go wrong spending time with your wife. By taking the time to have different, unique shared experiences, you allow for a greater organic growth to take place in your marriage.

Tags: Community Friendship