Can you believe January is already over? I think I need a seat belt to keep up with the speed of time these days.

January was designated as “The Joy of Love” month. I set four personal goals to strengthen the love relationship I have with Gramps. It’s now time to assess my activity in those areas and see how close I came to reaching the best.

Goals:

1 – Be patient – I was very open with Gramps this month and didn’t expect things from him that I didn’t verbally ask for. He didn’t have to read my mind at all. And I allowed him to speak his mind. Listening is a true gift you can give someone you love. It turned out to be a pretty relaxed four weeks.

2 – Give proof of love – This required some work but was worth it. After so many years you might think we just know the other person loves us but seeing proof of that is a real treat!

Gramps likes a home cooked meal most evenings, so I made a concerted effort to cook almost every day. I made extra efforts to dress nicer every day even when I wasn’t going out. And Gramps especially likes to watch car races with me, so I happily sat with him and joined in the fun of speeding vehicles every chance I had. I also made sure I told him I loved him everyday at least once.

My reward was a sweet, happy, loving husband who hugged and kissed me often, said he loved being with me, and bragged about me often to others.

3 – Let it go – I wasn’t quite as good in this area as I was in the others. I definitely improved, picked fewer arguments and nagged less over small things. I did, however, let the moment overtake me a couple times and get upset over a minor insult that Gramps wasn’t even aware of.

Being aware of this goal did help me let go of the anger quicker than I previously would have, so I can see the positive influence.

4 – Give praise – Showing kindness and gratitude to Gramps was easy. He is a very sweet thoughtful man who just naturally does kind things for me and others. I found myself saying “thank you” to him several times a day. I always felt the gratitude but didn’t speak it out loud. Believe me, it makes all the difference.

January has been quite a month of exploration and learning. “The Joy of Love” hopefully will be more evident in our home and maybe even become a habit. With daily use, some things may require less work and planning, and may feel more natural.

Looking forward to February “The Joy of a Good Attitude” month.