It was beautiful. Sunny. Gentle swells. A sixteen-knot south wind. Ideal conditions for sailing. Robert and Kathleen were anxious to get out on the ocean.
Several other parties arrived after them. Their captains half-heartedly prepared their boat, focused on leaving the harbor instead of preparation. These boats were already miles offshore. Sails billowing. Drinks flowing.
Robert shook his head. The ocean might entice him to take shortcuts on their checklist. But he and Kathleen resisted the temptation. They had sailed from this area for 15 years and knew storms could blow up, surprising even experienced sailors. So they’d created their pre-sail checklist. Ready just in case.
Do you take advantage of calm seas to prepare for relational squalls?
It’s easy to become complacent about your relationship. Things are going well. Smooth sailing. No worries. Weeks pass without taking time to romance your partner. Yet you’ve been in your relationship long enough to know what will happen.
You ignore subtle changes in the relational seas. Gentle swells begin building into stormy weather. A nor’easter hits, catching you by surprise. And you frantically thrash about, trying to create a Romantic Moment lifeline during the gale.
Continuing to romance your partner when things are great between you, prepares the relationship for those moments when your relationship takes a direct hits like a force-10 gale.
Robert and Kathleen’s checklist prepared them for potential storms at sea. Whether expected or not, when a storm hit, they had already taken precautions to avoid sinking. Taking time now to romance your partner can prepare you for unexpected relational tempests.
Are you creating regular Romantic Moments for your partner? If not, I’d encourage you to start creating those Romantic Moments during your relationship’s calm seas. Then when the unexpected Nor’easter hits your relationship, your relational ship will not sink. What do you think? Do relationships need regular Romantic Moments to help prepare for and carry it through stormy weather?
