|
|
|
WHAT'S NEW
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
6 meaningful ways to revive romance in your relationship
|
|
|
Hearts and flowers are wonderful, of course, but true romance is more -- and less -- than that. Here, from a host of blissful couples, comes a whole bouquet of surprisingly simple ways to show your love every day of the year.
|
|
|
By Mary Teresa Bitti
|
|
|
|
|
Sure, flowers and candy are nice (who can say no to chocolate?). But truly long-lasting romance is about the simple acts of thoughtfulness that make your partner feel special and beloved every day. A cup of tea in bed on Sunday morning, scraping ice off the windshield, tidying up (unbidden) -- these seemingly mundane gestures are all ways of saying "I love you."
Celebrate your love 365 days a year. As the inspiring couples interviewed for this story show, the practical approach to romance can make that fantasy come true.
1. Know your partner's needs -- and quirks
Love means never having to eat black and green jelly beans.
OK, that may not be true for every couple, although it certainly is for Mac and Rosemary. They love candy. And when there are jelly beans around the office (the couple own MacIsaac's Kiltmakers in St. Peter's, N.S.) Rosemary will invariably eat the black and green ones, which Mac isn't so keen on. "Yes, it's a little thing," admits Mac, but it's an eloquent example of Rosemary's attentiveness.
Wendy Shelby of Moncton, N.B., has a home business making teddy bears and selling them on EBay. She appreciates that her husband, Joe, a park caretaker, doesn't mind the mess. "I do my best to clean up, but there is fur everywhere," she says. "Sometimes it's in our food, but Joe never complains." And, "If I'm having a stressful day, he will put on my favourite Nat King Cole tape, have me sit down, and make supper. I don't have to say a word. He knows just by looking at me."
2. Make life a little easier
Michel Mignault, a facility manager in Winnipeg, has his wife, Lorraine, to thank for always looking sharp: she colour-coordinates his closet. An inventor dedicated to developing health-and-wellness products, particularly nutraceutical foods, Lorraine also sends Michel off to work with homemade lunches and snacks. For his part, Michel "is always clipping out relevant articles for me."
3. Show respect
Monique Wood of Oakville, Ont., admits she gets emotional rather easily. But her husband, Rick, "always listens to what I have to say and never belittles me," she says. For years a stay-at-home mom to their three daughters, Monique recently started working as a florist. "Rick has always trusted my judgment with our girls. And now that I've started working, he respects all that goes into running the house and my job."
Paul and Jan Lermitte of Vancouver support each other's passions -- even though they're very different. Sports are a big part of Paul's life, while Jan is more of a literary type. "We appreciate each other's interests, even though we may not share them," explains Jan.
Page 1 of 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 more articles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
