One evening last week, as my husband and I sat watching the New York Mets in the playoffs (actually, he was watching and I was just sitting, thinking about what I was going to eat next),I noticed that the pro athletes on TV were amazingly fit. That thought led to the next, which was, How many hours of daily conditioning must these players need to be elite in their game? I am guessing that they've spent hours each day to be their best-I'm thinkin' decathalon type of gym hours.
My next thought was how Olympian my husband would be if he spent a similar amount of time to fine-tune our marriage. What would a "pro spouse" perform like? Imagine! Dedicating hours each day to hone marital performance: Hitting homers every time in bed, due to lots of batting practice , of course. Going 9 for 9 unloading the dishwasher! Being a first-stringer in every conversation! MVP for each anniversary! Completing 19 out of 20 (flirtatious)passes!
Continuing along this line of reasoning, I realized that fitness could (or should) be a role model for getting our relationships in shape. Like being fit, marriage (or any other non-rookie relationship)requires daily exercises to keep those marital muscles in good range of motion.
Imagine the contracts these high performers would sign! There may not be financial benefits, but the emotional rewards would be in the millions! Who needs money if you are ecstatic?
Just like those who never work out, marriages, even in the rookie years, can be sent to the minor leagues, forever stuck playing AAA ball. Becoming sluggish, deconditioned to the rigors of daily partnership, in need of a regular regime that will strengthen and increase your marriage batting average.
Couch potatoes find it hard to get up and get moving.If you've been married for decades, the same type of Barco-lounger mentality can settle in, making it impossible to get (it)up!
As the Mets lost their chance to head to the World Series, I pondered the amount of effort it would take to become a marriage pro?Not everyone's cut out to play in the Big Leagues, but it still can't hurt to take a few swings at batting practice!
I told my husband about my silly comparisons. Both of us were now imagining a fitness regime that toned up our muscles while tuning up our marriage. Since both fitness levels and relationship quality can increase their range of intensity, why not do both? Larry turned off the TV.
