defining moments: the importance of date nights

Every month last year I did a personal post of “10 things you might not know about  me“, and i love what that accomplished and the feedback I got from it! This year however we’re going with something a little different…

You know those moments in your life that make you YOU? Those moments that shape your personality? Those moments that change the course of your life?Those moments where you reflect and think “gosh, what would my life even look like now if that hadn’t happened?” those moments are what i’m lovingly going to refer to as “defining moments”… and i’ve got a few in mind to share with you over this next year :)

kicking things off with one of the earliest memories (although the rest of this year will be in no particular order… )

It was something I looked forward to all week long. Some people count down all week until Saturday because its their day off from work or school, but for me? I counted down until Saturday because that was our date morning. Every Saturday morning I’d climb into his pick up truck, he would grab his cup of coffee that he had already reheated a couple times by 8:00 AM, we’d pop in a country music cassette tape, and my grandpa would take me on a date. We’d pick a place to grab a quick breakfast, usually at the Hardee’s down the road, and then run whatever errands he needed to for that weekends project. It wasn’t anything fancy, but he was intentional. he was consistent. and he always, always made time for me. he always made sure i knew that i was important to him. he taught me from the very beginning that dates are not only important, they’re necessary. 

As an adult, ‘date nights’ are something that i so look forward to one day! one of my favorite pastors said that a rule established early on in his marriage was that they would always prioritize a weekly date night, even if it was a date night at home, and do at least two long weekends away (no kids) every year, and I remember thinking that was one of the smartest things i’ve ever heard. life gets so dang BUSY that its easy to push the people we love to the back burner. but not my Grandpa… he taught me about the importance of weekly date nights right from the beginning.

I think this is one of the reasons why ‘quality time’ is such a strong love language of mine. Prioritizing relationship and having regular ‘dates’ with friends in my life is something that has always been important to me, and I think it stems back in part to all those dates with my Grandpa. My dad has never been involved in my life, and I wonder what kind of woman I would be today if my grandfather hadn’t stepped in to fill that role from the beginning. I included this quote in my college senior research thesis on ‘father-daughter’ relationships:

Remember twirling skirts? We twirled in front of our daddies. We wanted to know, “Daddy, am I lovely? Am I captivating?” From them we learn that we are delighted in, that we are special… or that we are not. How a father relates to his daughter has an enormous effect on her soul- for good or for evil.” – Staci Eldredge

Those dates, and everything else that happened in between, taught me that i was valued. that i was special. that i was delighted in. and that i was worth taking out on a date every Saturday morning :) 

Happy Friday! :) Have a great weekend!

(ps- total shameless plug, my incredible church is offering FREE babysitting an awesome activity packed evening for your kids every single Saturday night in February! starting tomorrow! We’re all about date nights at Community Church :) It’s open to ANYONE, so if you’re in the area and looking for something fun for your kids to do for a few hours so you can go on a date, you can click HERE to register! :) )

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  1. mel avjean says:

    Love this blog! I also love the relationship you have with G’pa. He is an amazing man and I am so happy that you have all of these wonderful memories and times to come!

  2. Grandma says:

    Grandpa says, “Best dates ever.” xoxoxo

  3. Judie says:

    How wonderful that your grandfather has provided such love for you, even better that you realize what a gift you have received in that relationship.

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