The Smaller Umbrella The Better!
2010/07/24
ZAID MOHAMAD
zaid@smartparents.com.my
IT was drizzling when a couple pulled up at a restaurant parking lot. The husband dashed to the boot for an umbrella. There were two — a large golf umbrella and a smaller one. Which one should he use? He smiled and reached for the small.
It was their 15th anniversary dinner and he thought it was a perfect gesture to his wife. With a small umbrella, he had the opportunity to snuggle as closely as possible with her while walking to the restaurant. As they lovingly huddled together, the scene was reminiscent of a time when they first started dating many years ago.
Yet, the picture could have easily been the opposite. In the early days, a couple would usually take every opportunity to stay close together. A Malay saying describes this aptly would be "eat in one plate and sleep on one pillow." That is how close they wanted to be. And yes, the smaller the umbrella, the better!
Unfortunately, after several years together, it is not uncommon to see couples keep a distance from one another. In a mall, they walk apart or go separate places. When it rains, they'd rather use a bigger umbrella, or worse, separate ones. In short, the further they are, the better.
So how can we keep our umbrella small as well as functional as the years go by? Why does the size and its condition matter to our home and family? An umbrella that had weathered many storms and heavy downpours may be torn, leaking or damaged. It may not be an issue during a good day but when the rain starts coming down hard, the umbrella will be useless. It is our duty to ensure that it stays functional. Any tear must be quickly patched, just as any damages must be repaired before the next thunderstorm.
Similarly, our relationships also weather heavy storms and downpours. Fights and disagreements will happen from time to time. Feelings can be hurt intentionally or otherwise. But if we let these common pitfalls of marriage run havoc, our home and family will also be threatened.
Therefore, we must nurture the relationship from time to time. Any torn, leak or damage must be dealt with swiftly. The best time to do it is when things are calm. Once the downpour starts, it might be too late.
Celebrating Love
One of the best ways to keep love alive is to celebrate it as often as possible. Anniversary celebrations should be grander with each passing year. It marks the many milestones you and your spouse journeyed together. Take pride in your ability to be an understanding and supportive spouse. Throw surprises now and then and not just during birthdays. We do not need to buy expensive gifts all the time but kind words and thoughtful gestures can go a long way to put a smile on their faces.
Celebrate love as often as we can — it is not just to create a happy home, but also something our kids can learn from too.
Rekindle the passion
Passion is like a thermometer — we must heat it up from time to time to ensure the temperature remains high. Go on regular "dates" with your spouse (without the kids tagging along). If you cannot sneak out of the house, watch a movie together at home. Candlelight dinners should not be confined to fancy restaurants — you can have them at home too.
Read more: Smart parenting: Small umbrella, happy family
Notakaki: My first official date with Cheep involved fireworks and umbrella, lol! Hopefully, years later we still can share an umbrella and our love remain *pom pom* like fireworks eh ;) hehe!
ZAID MOHAMAD
zaid@smartparents.com.my
IT was drizzling when a couple pulled up at a restaurant parking lot. The husband dashed to the boot for an umbrella. There were two — a large golf umbrella and a smaller one. Which one should he use? He smiled and reached for the small.
It was their 15th anniversary dinner and he thought it was a perfect gesture to his wife. With a small umbrella, he had the opportunity to snuggle as closely as possible with her while walking to the restaurant. As they lovingly huddled together, the scene was reminiscent of a time when they first started dating many years ago.
Yet, the picture could have easily been the opposite. In the early days, a couple would usually take every opportunity to stay close together. A Malay saying describes this aptly would be "eat in one plate and sleep on one pillow." That is how close they wanted to be. And yes, the smaller the umbrella, the better!
Unfortunately, after several years together, it is not uncommon to see couples keep a distance from one another. In a mall, they walk apart or go separate places. When it rains, they'd rather use a bigger umbrella, or worse, separate ones. In short, the further they are, the better.
So how can we keep our umbrella small as well as functional as the years go by? Why does the size and its condition matter to our home and family? An umbrella that had weathered many storms and heavy downpours may be torn, leaking or damaged. It may not be an issue during a good day but when the rain starts coming down hard, the umbrella will be useless. It is our duty to ensure that it stays functional. Any tear must be quickly patched, just as any damages must be repaired before the next thunderstorm.
Similarly, our relationships also weather heavy storms and downpours. Fights and disagreements will happen from time to time. Feelings can be hurt intentionally or otherwise. But if we let these common pitfalls of marriage run havoc, our home and family will also be threatened.
Therefore, we must nurture the relationship from time to time. Any torn, leak or damage must be dealt with swiftly. The best time to do it is when things are calm. Once the downpour starts, it might be too late.
Celebrating Love
One of the best ways to keep love alive is to celebrate it as often as possible. Anniversary celebrations should be grander with each passing year. It marks the many milestones you and your spouse journeyed together. Take pride in your ability to be an understanding and supportive spouse. Throw surprises now and then and not just during birthdays. We do not need to buy expensive gifts all the time but kind words and thoughtful gestures can go a long way to put a smile on their faces.
Celebrate love as often as we can — it is not just to create a happy home, but also something our kids can learn from too.
Rekindle the passion
Passion is like a thermometer — we must heat it up from time to time to ensure the temperature remains high. Go on regular "dates" with your spouse (without the kids tagging along). If you cannot sneak out of the house, watch a movie together at home. Candlelight dinners should not be confined to fancy restaurants — you can have them at home too.
Read more: Smart parenting: Small umbrella, happy family
Notakaki: My first official date with Cheep involved fireworks and umbrella, lol! Hopefully, years later we still can share an umbrella and our love remain *pom pom* like fireworks eh ;) hehe!
awww.. this is such a wonderful story Soul :) Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeletei see a very preggy you in your header ;) pretty cool!
heheh our first official date, fireworks, umbrella and drizzling rain, hehheeh malu2 kucing but it was a wonderful moment that I'll cherish always
ReplyDeleteAnny, you're most welcome ^.^
ReplyDeleteCheep, hahaha the malu2 kucen part! hiksss lebiu!
ReplyDelete