Weekender

I know it seems odd to hear marriage advice from a lawyer. What the hell, it’s the first of our Weekender Series where I get to take a break and share more fun stuff.

Go-Bags are supposed to be backpacks you fill with emergency supplies you might need in a pinch.  I think that you should fill different bags with everything you need for whatever you’re doing.

A Go-Bag For The Newlywed

1. Food – Learn how to cook at least two dishes well.  Barbecue, spaghetti, meatloaf, your choice.  You will look like a hero being able to give your significant other a break and take your turn at the campfire.

2. Shelter – Ok, so living in your parent’s basement or spare bedroom may have worked as a bachelor (or bachelorette).  Free rent was great, but really, do you want to run to the kitchen for a snack after snuggling and run into your Dad looking for a glass of warm milk?  Better get this one handled before you get married.

3. Recording Devices – Fancy words for a camera and a journal.  You’re starting out on a road that hopefully has a few great adventures and many firsts.   You’ll want to share those with posterity (or your future kids, whatever).  You only get to be newly married once, and believe it or not, you actually may want to remember some of those carefree times before your days are taken up by soccer games, PTA meetings, and what not.

4. Candles –  No not the birthday kind or cans of Sterno.  The kind you can light and place over that great dinner you cooked in the shelter over your heads, and take pictures of to remember later.

5. Communications – Cell phones, text, email, whatever suits your fancy.  The tools are one thing.  To survive in a marriage, actually communicating with each other, by whatever means, is vital.  Not just the usual “How are you doing”, but actually “how are you doing”.  If you were willing to marry them, your spouse should be the one you can open up to and who can open up to you.  Its not easy at first, but it gets far easier every time you do it. Kind of like using Facebook.

6. Navigational Tools.  In the wild, or that post-zombie apocalypse, you may need to navigate the rough countryside.  In a marriage, you’ve got a more complicated road to travel.  You need to work with your partner to plan together for your future.  Spend time using those communication skills to talk about where the two (or more) of you are going, where you want to get to, and how you want to get there.  It also doesn’t hurt to know the locations of favorite restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts, and vacation spots around the globe.

7.First Aid – You know what that is, emergency supplies to fix the boo-boos in life.  I recommend a really good set of contacts for sending flowers, favorite candies, last-minute dinner arrangements, and every other thing needed to say “I’m sorry I forgot your birthday”, or “How was I supposed to know you cut your hair”.

8. Fire Starter – I’m certain you don’t need me to stress what this is for.  Might I suggest your spouse’s favorite romantic movie, a place to watch the sunset, even a vacation to Jamaica or Hawaii (Paris at Christmas anyone?)  Sometime you just need to reignite that spark to create a new bonfire.

What’s in your Go-Bag?

Featured Image: BNRadio1 by Leonce49 at de.wikipedia