DEAR HARRIETTE: I have friends who have been married for nearly 40 years. When my husband and I learned that we were going to have a baby, the husband told us to make sure that we put our marriage first, before our child. I thought that was odd. He said that the children go away. If you want to keep your marriage, you better make sure that you make it a priority.
I didn’t think much of it then, but now that our son is about to go away to college, I’m remembering his advice. We didn’t necessarily follow it. Today, we get along OK, but I worry about what will happen when our son is gone. Is it too late to get closer to my husband? -- Rekindle the Flame
DEAR REKINDLE THE FLAME: It is never too late to express your love for your husband. Now may be the perfect time to talk about this next phase in your lives and how you want to spend your time. Talk to your husband about the fact that your son will be leaving soon. Point out that this is your chance to spend more time together. Suggest that you start now by going on dates with each other and with other adult friends. Don’t wait until your son moves out to capture loving moments together.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)