Side by Side

Side by Side
12x12
Oil on gallery wrapped canvas
for sale at
Blue Giraffe
Watercolor, Florida
850-231-5112

I am so glad you dropped by. I love getting to share this painting with you. I really love this painting.Not only do I love the dreamy color, but I love that the boats are side by side. When our children were 5 1/2, 4, 2 1/2, and the twins were a couple of months , an older woman in my life challenged me to protect and nurture my relationship with my husband. I remember at the time thinking "you have never been at my house at dinner time." Seriously though I have never forgotten that advice. She said our children would one day be grown and gone from our nest and it would be me and my husband rocking on the porch side by side. I love that thought. Me and my baby side by side! I have seen women before me reach that empty nest stage and absolutely adore rocking on the porch with their man. But I have seen the flip side of that as well. I have seen couples who poured their lives completely into their children and when they reached empty nest they did not know each other any more. I think it so easy to be completely consumed with our children's lives that we loose sight of our marriages. We are doing 100 meetings, carpooling to a million activities, constantly volunteering at school, sports, dance, projects, homework... and our husbands come home from a long day as well and we are physically and emotionally spent and we are doing good just to have something on the table for dinner. We plop on the sofa in front of the TV and call out the last of the spelling words and tuck everybody in bed and wave at our husbands as we head off to bed ourselves. Then we wake just to do it all over again. Hmmmm. Imagine if we really nurtured and protected our marriages. What does that look like? All I know is I don't want to have to reintroduce myself to my man when my babies are all gone. So .... try saying no every once in awhile. I promise it will get done! Volunteer a little less. Maybe drop an activity or two. Slow down. Stay home. Actually cook dinner and complete homework ahead of time. Save and cherish time with your husband. Children love to see their parents together and talking and laughing. That breeds strength and security for them. So really your children will benefit a lot more from us spending time with our husbands than frantically running around stressing over being late to guitar lessons. I love that! When that day comes for you,  will you look at the rocking chair next to you will you wonder who that man is or will you say "Slide that chair a little closer baby!" Slow down and plan something fun this week for you and your husband. Enjoy his company. Remember why you love him! Nurture and protect! Side by side!!!! love love love Ruthe.