I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid at Matt and Cyra’s wedding on Friday. It was a beautiful day – sunshine, flowers, good food, and an ecstatically happy couple. As I watched them exchange vows that evening, and gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes during their first dance, and talk with anticipation about their honeymoon, I wondered, “Have Shane and I lost that newlywed spark?” In a sense, yes, much of the “newness” of marriage has worn off. But in its place, we have built a partnership that is full of comfort and understanding. This isn’t to say that we’ve become a tired, boring, old couple (Shane has yet to refer to me as “the old ball and chain”, thank goodness), but we have definitely settled into our life together. Each day, we know one another a little better than we did the day before. We have come to understand when to pursue being together and when to give each other some alone time. We have discovered each other’s pet peeves (I forget to turn the lights off when I leave a room, Shane puts a nearly-empty milk carton back in the fridge) and are trying to curb these small annoyances. We have set goals together (money to save, trips to take, interests to develop) and we encourage each other toward realizing these dreams. These are all good things. But do we forget sometimes to be spontaneous and fun-loving and passionate? Yes. This is something to work on. I know that it’s possible to combine the solidity of our life together with the excitement and joy that comes with being very much in love – it just might take a little effort. But it’s a worthy endeavor with great rewards…