"I Really Enjoyed Being With You Today"

I (Carol) learned of a delightful little ritual at an equally-delightful wedding we attended this weekend:

The priest, in an effort to create (he was highly successful!) a memorable and meaningful wedding homily, asked the bridal couple to write answers to a series of questions during the weeks before the wedding. It was apparent, from the information he then used to build his sermon, the types of inquiries he made: How did you first meet? What do you love most about this person? What is most important in your future together? What do you most adore about being with him/her?

Of course I sat up straighter (and whispered "loving little ritual," my favorite phrase) to my husband when the priest shared something Emily - the bride - had written about David, her soon-to-be husband. "I love it when he says to me, at the end of every day: 'I really enjoyed being with you today.'" She confessed: "He likely doesn't even know he makes this comment," but that when he does, it reminded her of how loving and kind he is to her.

Loving little rituals! They are the lifeblood of our relationships; they feed them with kindness and goodwill. What if we all said to one another, more often, something as simple and kind as David does to Emily? Our marriages and relationships would be much better places in which to reside, wouldn't they?