Over the weekend Dave and escaped to the Lake (Lake Winnipesaukee for those who don't live in New England) for a regroup. After the holidays were finished and the New Year had begun we found ourselves to be exhausted. We had been running on all cylinders (professionally and personally) and just felt a tug to take a pause on life. Just for the weekend.
Thanks to amazing grandparents who babysat (and puppy sat!) we had the luxury of spending the weekend together, away from the hustle and bustle with ample time to focus on family, marriage and rest. I even forgot my computer which ended up being a blessing in diguise. It was exactly what we needed as a couple.
Dave and I have never been the best at dreaming together as a family. We find it "easy" to committ to things and are very dedicated and loyal to relationships, responsibilites and tasks. But we've always had difficulty dreaming for things. Perhaps it's our New England backgrounds, always practical, realistic and prepared. Or maybe it's that we don't have a lot of practice stretching our "dream" muscles. Any time we have sat down to do something like this we always aim for achievable goals that quite frankly we we're planning on accomplishing anyways. Here's a funny quip on the nature of New Englanders;).
Despite our Purtian roots and our staunchly Yankee ways, we tried our best to break out of our rut and really dream big for our family this past weekend. We even came up with a mission statement and vision for where we wanted to go together. My heart so desperately needed this and though we fought tooth and nail through it, we finally came together on something that made us both excited.
It can be so easy to come up with goals and dreams for a business. I find it incredibly easy to think of all the things I'd like to see my business accomplish over my lifetime and how it can grow to bless others. Easy peasy. It is MUCH harder to dream with your spouse, to dig deep and chase after the things God has for you and your family. So much harder. Why? It forces your pride take a back seat. It makes you think beyond your needs and desires as an individual. You have to work as a team and bow your will to God. Woa, heavy.
It took all weekend and several "arguments" later to get to the heart of our marriage and family. To be frank, I'm a little tired! But I'm equally as excited and feel such a sense of relief. I feel a deep satisfaction to be chasing after God together and doing our best to stick to the unique path He has set out for our family. It's not going to be easy but I know we're in this together and that makes it a joyful and wonderful experience.
I don't want you to get caught up on the fact that we went away. If you're heart is longing for this kind of pow wow with your spouse, you can do this easily in the comfort of your own home. But if you do have the opportunity to spend an evening away, I'd highly recommend it. Not only does it give you a chance to reconnect but frees you from distractions and can help you foucs on the things that matter most.
Who are you as a couple? As a family? What are your values? What do you long to achieve together as a team? These are not easy questions to answer, but they are worth the effort and time to think about. Life is better together and though it might not always be sunshine, rainbows and kittens, having something that you stand for together will carry you far and bring you much joy!