Nurturing Friendship Through Recreation

Friendship is vital to a healthy and happy marriage. In order to stay close to your spouse, you and your spouse should share in recreational intimacy and learn (or re-learn) how to get out and have FUN together.

It's true. You and your spouse should be best friends.

One way friendship is nurtured is by spending time with your spouse, doing FUN things that you both enjoy. Having fun together provides an outlet for you to share laughter, conversation, worries, concerns, and jokes; all while taking a break from the routine of normal life.

Here are three tips on how to nurture close friendship through recreation:

1. Take turns selecting activities.

He may like reading.
She may like hiking.
He may like golfing.
She may like singing.

FUN is defined in different ways by different people. You and your spouse may have different interests and hobbies. That is okay. Decide to fall in love with what your spouse loves. Take turns doing fun things that each of you enjoy (i.e. one week the wife picks to visit a museum she been wanting to see; the next week the husband picks attending a baseball game).

Remember that recreation means doing something that renews you - something that is fun/refreshing/relaxing/energizing/etc. There are unlimited possibilities. If your spouse happens to pick an activity that at first doesn't appear to fit that description for you - give it a chance! What they enjoy may grow on you.

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2. Take a class together.

Taking a class together can be a lot of fun! It lets you see each other in a new light, gives you something to work on together, and it's like committing to a regular date for the duration of the course!

There are so many fun, educational, useful, and even random classes out there.  Cooking, yoga, pottery, tennis, personal finance, art, woodworking, dancing, etc. Perhaps find something that neither of you are good at, or have exposure to, and try to develop a skill together. Be adventurous. Have FUN!

Whatever it is, commit to attending together and sharing that time with each other. You may be surprised that simply taking a class together gives you and your spouse more to talk about, more to look forward to, and more shared memories than you realize.

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3. Teach each other something.

Let your spouse teach you a skill or sport they are good at. A wife who has played tennis her whole life, can teach her husband to play tennis as well.  Then, they can share the activity throughout their lives...together! Likewise, a husband who golfs can help his wife learn, and then they can enjoy some time on the greens... together!

Though the teaching process may seem tedious at times, it will strengthen your relationship and allow for a deeper friendship to grow. Be patient with each other. In time, your spouse may even be better at the activity than you (of course, all because they had such a great teacher)!

The key is to make some time to get out and HAVE FUN TOGETHER!

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