Why does love often fade over the years of a marriage? One reason is that many couples don’t spend nearly enough time having fun and laughing together. They’re so stressed by the daily pressures of making life work that they slowly push laughter and fun to the wayside – often without even noticing it’s happening. Worse yet, a vital piece of the couple’s marriage usually disappears with the fun.
The Greek philosopher Plato once said, “You can learn more about a man in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” I think he meant that fun and laughter can reveal things about a person you won’t notice in routine situations. You’ll see more deeply into your spouse and learn what opens him or her up to the joys and happiness of life. It can be a beautiful time of discovery for couples.
But you have to make time for it. Jean and I usually have fun on date nights. But our favorite thing to do is camping. We’ve had amazing times together. We’ve seen wildlife and enjoyed the sort of beauty only the wilderness offers. We’ve hiked, gotten caught in the rain, and laughed together at how covered with mud we were.
If you need to get your marriage out of a rut, find something fun to do together. That could be dinner at a fancy restaurant, a painting class, or camping under the stars together. Smiles and laughter can do your marriage a world of good, and it’s a lot more fun than marriage counseling.
