Sharing Fun with Your Spouse

Are you sharing fun with your spouse? Are you continually “on the look” for ways to enjoy your married life together with your spouse?

Periodically we will remind you of this important mission. That’s because:

“Marriage should be enjoyed. Ecclesiastes 9:9 says, ‘Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.‘ God declares that you can enjoy life with your spouse, even through the pain and challenges that life often brings. God did not give you your spouse to be the grind; He gave you your spouse to be a companion through the grind.” (Ted Cunningham, from his article, “Five Ways to Add Fun to Your Marriage”)

Isn’t that true? We too often forget that! We are to be each other’s companions THROUGH the grind. The grind will seep into our lives together, just as “troubles” do. That’s all a part of living life together! But we can break up those grinding times when we look for ways to share fun with one another.

Sharing Fun

Here’s something else that Ted Cunningham suggests:

“Decide your way into fun. Fun is a choice, not an outcome. You decide your way into fun; you don’t just stumble into it. As a couple, you get to choose whether an activity, date night or event is fun or frustrating. Where you are and what you do are simply factors in the equation, but they are not the summation of a good time.”

So, “decide your way into fun.” If you can’t find fun, decide to create fun moments together—ones that are lighter. We do this all the time. And we’re sure that’s one of the reasons we still like each other and love each other. If we can’t find fun; we make it. And that’s what we recommend for you.

“Share a laugh. When things get tense, remember the humor in it all. Humor can reduce tension and lighten the mood. Think about what makes you and your spouse laugh and share it. Likewise, don’t forget to laugh at his or her jokes: It’s polite! According to research by John Gottman, sharing humor with your partner is one of the most effective ways to strengthen your relationship.” (Jamie Long Psy.D., from her article, “12 Thirty-Second Ways to Connect with your Spouse”)

We’re going to share some things with you that made us laugh. We’re hoping it will make you and your spouse laugh too. (Remember? This is all about sharing fun—sharing laughs together. So, we’re asking you to do just that.)

In Sharing Fun and Laughter

Here’s something humorous that we received from Pastor Tim at Cybersalt Digest:

Occasionally, airline attendants make an effort to make the “in-flight safety lecture,” and their other announcements, a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:

“Your seat cushions can be used for flotation, and in the event of an emergency water landing, please take them with our compliments.”

“Smoking in the lavatories is prohibited. Any person caught smoking in the lavatories will be asked to leave the plane immediately.”

Pilot: “Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I’m going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land… it’s a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings, it affects the flight pattern.”

As we waited just off the runway for another airliner to cross in front of us, some of the passengers were beginning to retrieve luggage from the overhead bins. The head attendant announced on the intercom, “This aircraft is equipped with a video surveillance system that monitors the cabin during taxiing. Any passengers not remaining in their seats until the aircraft comes to a full and complete stop at the gate will be strip-searched as they leave the aircraft.”

As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Washington National, a lone voice comes over the loudspeaker: “Whoa, big fella…WHOA..!”

“Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the overhead area. Please place the bag over your own mouth and nose before assisting children or adults that are acting like children.”

More In-flight Humor

“As you exit the plane, please make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.”

“Last one off the plane must clean it.”

After a rough landing during thunderstorms, a flight attendant announced: “Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that I’m sure that everything has shifted.”

From an Airlines employee… “Welcome aboard Southwest Flight XXX to YYY. To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seatbelt, and if you don’t know how to operate one, you probably shouldn’t be out in public unsupervised.”

“In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you’re travelling with two small children, decide now which one you love more.

An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a “Thanks for flying XYZ airline.” He said that considering his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye. Finally, everyone had gotten off except for this little old lady, walking with a cane. She said, “Sonny, mind if I ask you a question?” “Why no Ma’am,” said the pilot, “what is it?” She said, “Did we land or were we shot down?”

Lastly:

Part of a Flight Attendant’s arrival announcement: “We’d like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you’ll think of us here at US Airways.”

Did you enjoy those little tidbits of humor? We hope so. And we hope you share it with your spouse. You could even use these tidbits during a 22-Minute Date time with your spouse.

Sharing Fun After Discovering What Makes Your Spouse Laugh

We have one last challenge for you. We found it in Dr Les and Leslie Parrott’s book, “The Love List.” They (and we) recommend this you:

“Study your spouse’s funny bone. One of the reasons many couples never reach their ‘laughter potential’ is because they have never taken humor seriously. Sounds strange, but to bring more laughter into your relationship, you need to know what makes your husband or wife laugh. After all, each of us has a unique sense of humor.

“As public speakers, we’ve experienced occasions where someone will laugh out loud at something most everyone else would barely chuckle at. And, of course, some people never crack a smile at something almost everyone else thinks is hilarious. So, your job is to find those things your spouse thinks are most funny by paying attention to when he or she laughs.

“‘I never realized how much Susan laughs at a silly comic strip,’ a participant at one of our seminars told us. ‘When you asked us to think about each other’s humor styles, it dawned on me that I hardly ever laugh at comics in the paper, but she seems to really enjoy them.’ This enlightened husband went on to tell us how he was now learning to laugh at comic strips too. He now makes a habit out of reading them and even cuts one out to show Susan from time to time.

“Maybe your partner likes a sarcastic wit. Maybe it’s slapstick that makes him or her laugh. Or maybe it’s the old classic sitcoms like The Andy Griffith Show. Wherever his or her funny bone is located, find it and use it — at least once a day.”

Think of it this way:

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” (Victor Hugo)

So, work on driving “winter” from your spouse’s face! Help them burst out that sunny smile!

Cindy and Steve Wright

— ADDITIONALLY —

To help you further, we give a lot of personal stories, humor, and more practical tips in our book, 7 ESSENTIALS to Grow Your Marriage. We hope you will pick up a copy for yourself. (It’s available both electronically and in print form.) Plus, it can make a great gift for someone else. It gives you the opportunity to help them grow their marriage. And who doesn’t need that? Just click on the linked title or the picture below:

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