About nine years ago, I was reading a book on marriage as a teenager looking forward to the sweet days of married life. A sentence in the book goes something like this:

“…there’s nothing exciting about waking up with the same person every morning, going to work, and then returning home.”

That message stuck. Don’t get it wrong. The book encouraged romance, understanding, great sex and all, so it is positive on marriage. But the most important thing in the book is that sentence describing marriage in its normality, mundane, and ordinariness. So way before marriage, reality check was kind of at the back of my mind.

When the flame subsides, and the novelty wears off, remember the commitment.

When your spouse is annoying, remember the days of genuine kindness.

When your sweetheart seems boring with everyday life, remember the days when just a gaze brings excitement. And then, if possible, recreate them.