UV Protection
I was in an art store recently and a woman was there getting a picture back that she had taken in to be framed. The picture was a wedding photo of her and her husband from 20 plus years ago. When the clerk handed the woman her picture back in the nice, newly-matted frame, there was this deep gasp that grabbed my attention. I looked over and realized what caused the sharp intake of breath. She had put the old picture into a newer, larger frame than the one before. Where the sun had been shining through the glass with the previous frame, it had discolored quite significantly so that you could see a real clear line where the fading and unfading met. And she was just taken aback by the effects 20 years of fading had on her picture.
It occurred to me that the same thing can happen in our relationships at home. In our marriage and family life, 20 years of fading can leave quite a mark. In our marriage, we might notice the intensity diminish after we’ve been together awhile. After that length of time, our bellies may flop more than flip when our spouse walks in the room. The smell that was once distinctively delightful to our spouse may be a little more pungent than we’d like. We no longer whisper sweet nothings in their ear, because frankly they have trouble hearing what we say talking in a normal tone of voice. What used to be considered R-rated romance has been downgraded to PG and maybe G on our challenging days. And the only impression we may be making is in the cushion of the couch.
What can we do to change the framework of our marriage and avoid the dullness that can occur? I started thinking that perhaps we need a little UV protection. I’m not talking about the ultraviolet protection we use on our bodies against the harmful effects of the sun, but in terms of our marriage, we need a different kind of UV armor—ultra-vibrant. That’s right. You need to produce vibrancy in your marriage to protect it against the doldrums and the damage from fading.
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Fortunately, the process doesn’t involve lathering a white, greasy film on your skin but rather planning fun activities with your spouse, taking extra care with your appearance, or perhaps listening more intently when your spouse speaks. You can’t expect your marriage to remain healthy or unfazed by the years of wear and tear if you don’t take additional measures to safeguard it.
Vibrancy is defined with words like energetic, exciting, stimulating, and lively or pulsating with vigor. Who wouldn’t want a marriage protected by a shield of such power and force? While it’s nice to experience a certain level of comfort with another person, it can quickly turn boring when nothing new is ever introduced or experienced.
The same concept applies if you have children. Even as kids get older and integrate more with their friends than with parents, you can keep them interested by incorporating the same principles. Even though kids may act as though they don’t want to be around their parents, most times they really do, but like anything worthwhile, it takes a little effort and imagination to entice them and to add vibrancy to the relationship.
Although it’s difficult to prevent photographs from fading, especially when they’ve been exposed to bright lights, you can protect your marriage and family by applying Ultra-Vibrant protection.
