Parents That Stay Together

My daughter does this new thing when we're sitting in church. She'll sit between my wife and me and hook one arm around my arm and the other around my wife's. Then she pulls us together as close as she can. It's a cozy arrangement for her, and I have to admit that I like it too.

When I think about how she intertwines our three bodies together in this way, it reminds me of an important principle related to parenting. New parents are tempted to make their lives about the kids. This is easy to do. Children are helpless creatures--especially the babies--and require a lot of attention. But if the children come first, mom and dad lose touch with one another. The next thing they know, they're having trouble. At best, their marriage is strained. At worst, their marriage ends.

The best thing parents can do for their children is love each other. Kids want this more than anything else. Maybe that's what my little girl was trying to tell her parents yesterday morning in church, I don't know. Just in case, I better plan a date with my wife soon.