COVID Date Night

Before COVID took over and caused the closure of restaurants; and entertainment in general, my husband and I attempted to have a date night at least once a month. Our original goal was to have a weekly date night, but this proved to be an unrealistic goal indeed, so we settled.

This time without our kids, battling for our attention in the background, was quite enjoyable. We like to remind ourselves that eventually our kids will grow up and move out, when this happens we want to not look at the other and think “who is this stranger standing before me?", so this alone time to stay acquainted is important. Then the pandemic hit and everything came to a halt.

That is until I came up with the idea of COVID date night. Every Saturday night, I would banish my husband to our room while I made one of our favorite meals and set the table with a sheet (as a tablecloth of course!), a candle and flowers. In the living-room, I would arrange the couch cushions on the floor and put out snacks for a movie after dinner. There is something about dinner and a movie that brings a couple together.

Before COVID, I thought that one of the best parts of going out was the fact that I didn’t have to cook or clean after the meal. I liked that I was being served for a change. After COVID, I realized that what I most enjoy is the quiet time with just my spouse. Of course I love being with our kids, but the time with just the two of us is also precious and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Something about having that “alone” time while enjoying a nice meal together makes it even better.