My favorite day of the year is when I can open up my apartment windows. The fresh air blows in the scent of blooming tulips, moist soil and new grass. My apartment is then slowly cleansed of the smell of my pets, winter candles and our weekly frozen pizza/HBO series aromas. It’s truly a glorious day! While my windows are open, I get to my spring cleaning. My husband and I wash and store the comforter, heavy coats and sweaters. We hang out the rugs and re-pot over grown planters. When we are done, our home feels renewed and reborn. Our yearly home cleanse feels like a full body lavender salt scrub.
Why not do the same for your relationship?
All relationships have lulls, boredom, malaise and slumps. How do we open the windows of our relationship and exfoliate the winter doldrums? Rather than giving you an overwhelming list of chores, we’ll tackle one cleaning project at a time!
Try a magic eraser sponge on old nagging issues.
We all have partners that exhibit tiny irritating habits such as not putting the cap back on the toothpaste, leaving the toilet seat up or not wiping down the counters after washing the dishes. These types of small annoyances can slowly create walls between you and your partner. You’ve asked (or yelled at) them countless times to put their shoes away or hang up their coat when they get home to no avail. That’s why I like to use a magic eraser rather than a regular sponge on this type of cleaning. Regular sponges can spread these caustic feelings, without really getting the spot clean. Its like you feel that you handled the situation by letting them know, but it persists. Now, with the magic eraser, those distressing spots come up in a wipe. Have I lost you with my sponge metaphor? Listen, if your old way of expressing your distaste hasn’t produced results (regular stupid sponge) then it’s time to try something new (magic eraser!). Decide on what issue is the top of your list, sit down your partner with a slice of cake and gently work on the issue together with kindness and love. Do they forget to pick up the kids toys or do they feel that it gets done before they get to it. Is there something that you do that’s kind of annoying? Can you make a pact to work on these little afflictions or ways to tenderly remind them to take out the trash without the other becoming defensive? Look at these small things with new eyes and, for sure, with cake in your mouth.