The Real Magic in Marriage

After five days of taking-half-the-day-to-start-the-day, I was ready for a DATE NIGHT. No, let’s say I was half-crazy for a date night. And to me, at that stage of my life, “date night” meant “all-about-ME-night”. I expected to be wined-and-dined, oooed-and-ahhhed over, and listened to with rapt attention, which my honey managed to pull off nearly every Friday night.

However, if my prince, on rare occasion, slipped off his steed in the slightest -- if he was anything less than perrrrrfectly chaarrrming -- his Cinderella, who had miraculously gone from apron-and-hair-scarf to ball-gown-and-crown, would turn into a cold pumpkin come midnight.

One such night had started out all right. We had a nice dinner out, even a movie. When we got home, the kids were already tucked in fast asleep. Things were going so well for Prince that he let his guard down. While I got ready for bed, he paused at the computer for a quick check-up on some business. Baaaaaaaaad idea. I had got it into my head that getting on the computer was violating the Date Night Prime Directive:

Ye shall not take your eyes or ears off your woman.

As soon as I realized that I was talking to myself in the bathroom, Cinderella morphed into the Wicked Queen.

We went to sleep fairly miserable that night. If I remember right, it was one of those nights they tell you NEVER to have: back to back, opposite sides of the bed.

But hold on -- this is where the real magic comes in.

Early the next morning, we were summoned to the stake president’s office. We by-passed our usual morning cuddles and got ready saying as little as possible. The moody cloud dampened our spirits all the way to the church and followed us right into the stake office.

President called me in first. “Sister Z,” he said, “we would like you to speak in our upcoming adult session of stake conference.” I nodded numbly. “What we would like you to speak on is – “

Oh no! An assigned topic?!

He cleared his throat, adding a second to my suspense, then pronounced: “-- strengthening marriage through patience and understanding.”

I went ashen.

I exited. Dale entered. I could not even look him in the eye as we passed.

Four minutes later, he emerged. The door closed behind him. His head was hanging.

“What is it honey?”

He lifted his chin to look at me, a tear about to wiggle down his cheek. “I’m speaking in stake conference.”

“I am too. Did he say what he wants you to talk about?”

“Yes."

We just stood there. I wanted to hold him, and he wanted to hold me, but humiliation held us both.

With more than a little awe in his voice, he finally said:

“The importance of romance in marriage.”

The Lord taught us an important lesson that day, in his magical way, one we have never forgotten: happily ever after is all up to us.

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