Gift #2: A Sacrifice of Comfort
The second gift is a sacrifice of comfort. This is one that I found especially effective and evident in healthy couples. For instance, getting up to make and bring your spouse coffee in bed on a cooooold morning shows exceptional kindness! Volunteering to do the dishes when you yourself are also exhausted from work demonstrates true others-focused love. Try to do something like that at least two or three times each day when you are both particularly busy, and watch what happens!
Why is it so powerful? Because your spouse knows you are tired and busy too. During this time of year, when we are all running in 10 directions per day (heck, per hour, even!) your actions signal “I know you have a lot on your plate and I want to help you.”
Sacrificing comfort for others besides spouses speaks volumes as well. Staying late to help a co-worker with a problem will enhance that relationship. Shoveling the neighbor’s sidewalk shows great thoughtfulness amidst chilly discomfort. Any sacrifice of your own personal comfort for others conveys the kindheartedness that relationships need to flourish.
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