Happy Together

happiness - Happy Together

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. Proverbs 15:13

A musical group called the Turtles had a lot of hits in the late sixties and early seventies, and one of my (David’s) favorites was titled Happy Together. The lyrics talk about being completely happy with the one you love and how the world is “so very fine” when romantic love is in full bloom.

For me, that song captures some of what we all hope for our marriages: blue skies all around, wanting to be with your spouse the rest of your life, and the anticipation of being together again.

I know the lyrics sound overly romantic, but I like the song anyway. Even though romantic love gives way to a more mature, sacrificial love, it doesn’t hurt to remember the “happy together” feeling that we had when our love first bloomed.

The apostle John rebuked the Ephesian Christians because they had left their “first love” (Revelations 2:4), and he encouraged them to rekindle their love for Christ. Similarly, marriages can often benefit from times of stirring up their first love, which can be quenched through the seriousness of routines, daily obligations, and schedules.

It’s often helpful and fun to prioritize time for first-love reflections. For example, we can remember:

• Music we shared, particularly “our songs”
• Sacrifices or silly things we did just to be together
• Ways we “made up” after arguments and breakups
• Diaries we kept, notes and cards we shared
• Special gifts and keepsakes
• Endearing nicknames we coined
• Places we went just to be alone

These reflections help renew our first love and challenge us with the simplicity of keeping romantic love alive.

What can you do today to rekindle that “first love” between you and your spouse?