Angie and I are in uncharted territory as husband / wife. Having been married 27 years, we've never experienced being (almost completely) empty nesters (2 of our 3 kidlets are out of the house). It is an especially weird place to be residing within. Our 1,550 square foot abode is so much less lively / loud. There's so much less laundry to tend to. Substantially less food to prepare. We've even noticed how much cooler the house seems to be (even considering this brutally hot August).
She and I have discussed this weirdness when it's seemed appropriate, but overall, it's actually been difficult to describe where we're at. More often than not, we just sort of stare at each other and shrug in an attempt to articulate this familial paradigm shift.
Initially, I was so pleased to experience the absence of not just one (beginning two years prior) but two kidlets. Now though, I'm enthralled at how bizarre it truly feels for both of our oldest children to be gone (college) and subsequently thriving on their own.
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Angie and I have always made praying together a priority. Though it's never been calendared, we've consistently inserted it into our schedules ad hoc. When we were early on in our marriage, we'd pray before going to sleep. Usually, we'd hold hands whilst lying there, and one of us would intercede, speaking softly into the darkness.
Now that we're sleep divorced (a practical, immensely satisfying development birthed from this almost empty-nester setup), our prayer time(s) happen in the living room.
But my point is they're still happening. Regularly.
Highly recommended. Do this with your wife / girlfriend. It's intimate and profoundly satisfying.
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A second commitment she and I have - to each other - is working out together. Now, we don't shadow each other there in the Y, but we're loving the fact that we're together (strength training separately) within the same space during that time.
This isn't something we've participated in together as a couple - consistently - for much longer than three years. Angie's post-stroke rehabilitation deeply motivated her as to the importance of strength training. That debilitating neurological event occurred in May of 2020. As such, she hasn't looked back relative to our twice weekly sessions.
Again, highly recommended. It's been tremendously helpful to our us. And especially during this bizarre time within our marriage.
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