Even though it has been over 30 years since I met my husband for the first time, we still try to make time for just the two of us to be together. No distractions from our lives, our work, or our children. It’s just us.

It seems to be common in our fast-paced society that dates with your spouse are a thing of the past. You two are finally together so, why take the time, energy, and money to go on dates? Because your marriage needs to endure through the trials and tribulations that arise. Dating each other after being married strengthens the foundation to keep your relationship solid. Think back to the beginning of your relationship with your spouse. Did you go on many dates? What did you do? Where did you two go? How did you spend your time together? It’s time to bring that back into your relationship.

Dates can happen at any time during the day. Many times, Micky and I turn our grocery shopping trips into a date. We leave about an hour or two before a meal, do some shopping, and then go out for lunch/dinner. We spend the whole afternoon together having a good time and getting in some retail therapy. And as a bonus, I have someone to get things from the high shelves.

Dates don’t need to cost money either. Any time you spend quality time alone together can be considered a date. There are many resources available in books and on the Internet to spark ideas for date days or nights. Here are some that might help.

• Shopping trips
• Going out to eat
• Going for a walk in the neighborhood
• Go back to the place you met
• Go to a park and play like kids
• Hang out under the stars
• Be a tourist in your area
• Go dancing
• Go to a concert/play
• Play video games/board games together (although, that does bring out the competitiveness in me.)
• Binge streaming movies/TV shows you both enjoy (pop some popcorn, have a few drinks, and enjoy!)

The thing is…you have to make time for each other. If you haven’t connected on a date for quite some time, now is a perfect opportunity to take some time for each other…alone. Getting back to dating the love of your life will bring passion into your marriage. It puts the two of you first. You appreciate each other more. And it will bring excitement and passion to your relationship together.

Spend some time planning dates together. These days the two of you plan do not get canceled! You may pivot if something comes up, but do not cancel the date. Plan a different day if that happens. Your marriage is the top priority.