Just the Two of Us

As much as I hate to admit it, our last 16 years have seemed to revolve around our son and his disability. I don't think that is a bad thing. It's the way our family has dealt with having a child with a disability.

If he has doctor appointments more than 4 hours away, we turn it into an adventure and stay at a hotel. Our oldest son was involved in just about every single activity growing up. Boy Scouts, band, football, etc.

One of us with our older son, the other with Jac. I am still amazed when I think of all the events we attended. We wanted to ensure our oldest son that he was just as important as our youngest.

The one thing that has been a struggle has been keeping our marriage alive and well. We just celebrated our 25th anniversary and have been very proud of ourselves. Divorce rate statistics are high generally. They are especially high when you have a child with a disability. So far, we are beating the odds.

I can't say we do overly romantic stuff anymore. We don't write cute little love notes. But we do make a point of calling during the day to touch base. We try to sneak out on a date night or even lunch while our son is at school, which we have learned is easier.

I think the romantic things now are more like letting the other one sleep in. Volunteering to clean up the poop messes is almost as romantic as it gets!  

Now, my husband likes to hold my hand as we fall asleep. This is very romantic until the wild child sneaks into bed with us and gets right in the middle to remind us this is a family of love!

Read some other ideas parents have shared in their articles about keeping a strong and happy marriage.