Weekly things

 

On Mondays,  I change sheets. On Tuesdays, I iron three school uniforms. On Wednesdays, I work in the city. On Thursdays, I iron four school uniforms. On Friday, I sleep until the sun gently coaxes me awake. And once a week, on whatever night it happens to fall, I go on a date.

Every week, I do a lot of the same things. Don't we all? So much of life seems to be a steady stream of have-to's that have a way of running us ragged, no matter what our schedules are like. In the midst of this kind of urgent lifestyle, it's important to slow down.

When Stephen and I started dating, we talked about what sort of time we'd spend together. Since we live nearly an hour apart and we both work, it was a priority to both of us to make the other a priority. I'm glad he saw it that way. Now, we've gotten into a comfortable groove in our relationship. We see each other, normally, four or five days out of the week (I'm so grateful we get so much time together, believe me), but we work at dedicating one of those nights to something special. Whether it's going to the Opera House for a show, walking along the harbour with ice cream, or going out to dinner at a new spot, that night out is always a treat. It's a time to get a little dressed up, let him treat me, and wrap ourselves in romance. 

I told him the other day how glad I was that even though we've become so at ease with each other, we've managed to keep things fresh. And I know it's still early, and if we're lucky enough to make it together for years and years to come, these past few months will feel like nothing. But the thing is, they won't have been. Whether we're young or old, new or regular, date nights are teaching me to neither take any part of our relationship for granted nor discount any part of it.

It's a good season.