Happy Relationships Throw More Parties
Are Your Homes Happy?
Here’s my belief. I believe kids will love to go home if there’s love in the home.
Have you heard that great old song from 1964? (For your information, I didn’t hear the original version. I heard this song in a revival in American Idol.)
A chair is still a chair even when there’s no one sitting there. But a chair is not a house, and a house is not a home, when there’s no one there, to hold you tight, and no one there, that you can kiss good night…
Friend, is there happiness in your home?
I’ve noticed that the happiest relationships have a rhythm of celebration. In other words, they throw parties.
I don’t mean a party with balloons and clowns (though that’ll be great too), but putting a “party spirit” in your relationship.
I’ve got four fantastic suggestions.
1. Make The Family Meal A Party
I know of a man who has 11 children.
When he goes home from work, he does a very important ritual before entering his front door. He mentally unloads all his problems at the front porch. Because his kids need a happy Dad.
When he enters the door, he shouts, “Hi kids!” And 11 kids rush to him to give him a hug. He then wrestles them on the floor and they play together.
And when mealtime comes, he makes everyone laugh. He inspires everyone with his stories.
Alas, the typical family meal isn’t like this.
My kids love Family nights.
If they had it their way, it’ll be done every night.
Sometimes, we watch a movie at home, with a barrel of popcorn. (According to my son Benedict, a movie without popcorn is a horrific crime.)
Sometimes, we play games together. Monopoly, Charades, Pictionary, and Trivia.
Sometimes, we all play video games together. Obviously, the kids always win and the parents lose. But that’s okay. Instead of banning video games from our kids, we enter into their digital worlds. Doing so makes us able to guide them against violent games.
Sometimes, we go to a bookstore and eat ice cream.
I believe the weekly Family Night is a mini-party that you should never miss. Believe me, when you’re old and grey (or old and bald), you’ll look back at these times and thank God you had them!
3. Weekly Dates With Each Family Member
4. Annual Family Celebrations
Create your own Family’s “Liturgical Calendar”.
Sit down and block off the most important dates of the year.
For example, plan everyone’s birthdays.
3 Ingredients For Throwing Parties
Ingredient #1:
Gratitude
Here’s the truth: Celebrating your relationships doesn’t depend on having a bubbly or cheerful personality. It depends on your depth of gratitude.
You throw a party because you’re grateful to the person for being there in your life.
If you believe that the people in your life are your greatest gifts from God, then you throw parties often to thank them.
Even if we know it’s a lot of hard work.
Ingredient #2:
Hard Work
Have you ever prepared for a birthday party before?
It’s always hard work.
But who said love isn’t hard work? As I said before, love is about dirty hands, not just beating hearts.
Finally, the third ingredient is very important too.
Ingredient #3:
Creativity
Throwing parties requires some creativity.
Do you want to be more creative?
Copy. Get inspiration from others. It’s the secret of the greatest artists in the world: Leonardo de Vinci, Michelangelo, Picasso, Rembrandt, Bo Sanchez, etc…
You don’t know how to express your love in a playful way?
Ask others what they do. Do some research.
Through the years, I’ve given many cards to my wife. Let me share with you two of them today. You’ll notice that I’m not very original. I stole all these from various sources…
Card #1
I framed this card. I basically got the text from an email I received. Probably Spam. Not much originality. But she loved it so much, it’s still on her bedside table after all these years.
My Dearest Valentine,
You are the… apple of my eye, mango of my pie, palaman of my tinapay, keso of my monay, teeth of my suklay, fingers on my kamay, blood in my atay, sala of my bahay, foundation of my tulay, seeds of my palay, best clothes in my ukay-ukay, calcium in my kalansay, calamansi on my siomai, knot on my tie, toyo on my kuchay, vitamins in my gulay, stars of my sky, sand of my Boracay, beauty of my Brunei, highlands of my Tagaytay, mole on my Ate Guy, baba of my Ai-Ai, spinach of my Popeye, sizzle when I fry, wind when I paypay, tungkod when I’m pilay, feeling when I’m high, shoulder when I cry, wings when I fly, prize when I vie, cure to my “ARAY!”, my honey even after I die…
From your one and only,
HAPPY VALENTAY!
Card #2
Here’s my final example.
Again, I stole the photos from the internet too, but I edited the text to fit my purpose.
A PSYCHOLOGY TEST TO MEASURE LOVE
It has already been proven that someone in love has a keener sense of observation. His mind is more alert, his perception more accurate. Doctors suggest that this is so because heightened emotions of love cause blood circulation to flow more freely in the right hemisphere of the brain. Today, you will be shown a photo of two almost identical dolphins. Here’s the test: You can now measure whether a person is in love by the number of slight differences he sees between the two dolphins. The more differences you see, the more in love you are. Turn this paper now and count the many differences you can see between the two dolphins—and find out how in love you really are…
(By the way, I took the test and realized how insanely I’m in love with you. Love, your husband.)
Let me end with the story of prodigal son.
When the “bad” son came home, his father threw a party. The son wanted to beg for forgiveness, but the father wasn’t even listening. Instead, he said, ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast!
God loves parties.
And God loves to throw a party to people who don’t deserve a party. If you’re reading this, thinking of your sins, wondering if God still loves you, let tell you: God is throwing a party of love for you right now. He loves you more than you can imagine.
Receive His love today.
And learn to throw more parties in your life.
Your relationships need them badly.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
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