Friends Couple Enrichment: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

Guest contributor Katharine Richman of Friends Couple Enrichment talks about a small expression of love to share with your partner, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Guest contributor Katharine Richman of Friends Couple Enrichment talks about a small expression of love to share with your partner, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

One way in which couples can tell each other “the ways” is through an affirmation dialog. Partners face each other, look into each other’s eyes, and take turns speaking and reflecting back what the other has said, naming some of the qualities that each of them cherishes in the other and giving specific examples of those qualities.  

Part of a fulfilling relationship can involve what psychologists refer to as “the Michaelangelo phenomenon.” Michaelangelo believed that the ideal figures he sculpted already lay within the stone, and that his job was to uncover what was already there. So too can the members of a couple support and encourage each other, in the process uncovering what makes each of them their best selves.

At the end of a Couple Enrichment workshop, each couple is given a heart, made of red plastic or cloth. Each partner takes turns hiding the heart in a place where the other will find it within a day or two.  This might be inside a favorite pair of shoes, in the neck of a guitar, between the pages of a book, inside a favorite coffee cup, near the partner’s toothbrush, etc.  Once the other person finds the heart, they hide it for their partner.  It’s a simple, yet novel way to remind our partner that we love them. Enjoy doing this with your Valentine!

Friends Couple Enrichment continues to hold workshops and facilitate growth groups in many parts of the country. Our ministry is helping couples to grow in their relationships and strengthen their bond.  Here are a few of the programs being offered during the next few months: 

Feb 22-24, 2019: “Wisdom’s Wonders: The Heart of Sacred Conversations”, an event hosted by Pittsburgh Friends Meeting. Led by Jamie and Dan Mudd. Contact the facilitators for more information.

March 15-17, 2019: Couple Enrichment at Pendle Hill Retreat Center, Wallingford, Pennsylvania.  Led by Marsha and Mike Green. Register now on the Pendle Hill website.

June 30-July 6, 2019: Couple Enrichment Workshops at the FGC Gathering in Grinnell, Iowa. Look for Workshop #47, led by Pam and David Minden.

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