Recently I was talking to friend about his new job situation. He is absolutely thrilled with the way things are going. Something that came up in the conversation, was how the family business he works for, is run by two couples. The family connection is two brothers who run the business with their wives. One of those couples shares an office with each other. In addition, the two couples not only work together but they spend their weekends together, and they even vacation together.

His response? “I can’t fathom spending that much time with another person, let alone my brother, or my wife. I need space.”

Now mind you, there is nothing wrong with that response. To each is own. We all need to do what is right for us – Individually and as couples. Here is what that conversation brought up for me:

My wife and I are Always Together.

Of course, there is a caveat to this statement. Especially as you do life, that is not always possible.  However, when I reflect, that is how it has always been.

My wife and I do life together. We are always together. We have always, always been together! We make plans together, just the two of us. We make plans together, with our family. We make plans together, with our church and friends. We have even quasi worked in the same areas as each other for our jobs, for the past 29 years. We even know many of the same people and same players within our job world. In more recent times, we are now both working from the house, a majority of the time. We have always worked together from the house in some capacity, for the past 25 years. This time, it is more than 1 or 2 days a week.

In that past, it was not uncommon to find us working together in the same office at the house. This time around, we are both on the phone and in virtual meetings and therefore we need to separate. I sit in the kitchen and she has the office. Of course, she is just down the hall so communication and seeing each other is quite easy. We often eat lunch together, and we are even able to frequently get out for a brief walk together during the day as well. Then you will regularly find us teaming up in the kitchen cooking together at night too!   

This story line reminds me of a recent trip my wife and I were able to take together to celebrate our marriage. My wife and I will be celebrating 25 years of marriage this coming April. We landed on our first cruise. We sailed with a group of about 50 folks focused on marriage and the elimination of toxic messages that support hierarchy of the man over women in the Evangelical church. The goal is to spread the word, that hierarchy, which Jesus came to eliminate, is still present in our world. It’s even engrained in the messages we hear about marriage and the “love of Jesus” in our church! Not only are these toxic messages the opposite of Jesus and His Purpose, these toxic messages have been documented with facts supported by research, and confirm they often cause much harm to women in these spaces. Who benefits? is the BIG question!

Can you SEA?

My wife and I spent 7 full days traveling on a ship and multiple islands essentially attached at the hip. Out of the 7 days we were together, we spent less than two hours apart. On the Seventh day…My wife went with another couple to a yoga class, while I went to the rear deck pool and watched the boat wake disappear into the never-ending SEA!

My wife and I are:

ALWAYS TOGETHER