I love the holiday season – I love the decorations and the holiday goodies and that extra feeling of love in the air. And I especially love Hallmark Christmas Movies!!! For those who don’t know what I am talking about, the Hallmark channel on TV puts out a bunch of original Christmas movies every year that are played all during the holiday season (which has now officially begun) and they are the most heartwarming movies that your entire family can enjoy together. They always have an uplifting message and they always leave you feeling the joy of the Christmas spirit when you finish watching them. I LOVE THEM! Oh, and I personally recommend also enjoying a cup of raspberry hot chocolate with tons of whipped cream on top while you are watching them – it’s a must 🙂

Last night one of the movies was about a married couple who had been married for 20 years but now found themselves contemplating a divorce. Not because there was abuse or adultery or any of the more serious reasons for divorce, but simply because over time they had begun taking each other for granted and forgetting to show one another that they loved and appreciated the other. They had been trying to hide the fact they were headed for divorce from others until they could settle matters with their lawyer, but at one point the Grandfather, who had been living with the couple since the time his own wife had died, pulls the son-in-law aside so let him know that he recognizes that things aren’t right between them and he says something incredibly powerful that I had to write down so I could share. He said:

“You know better than anyone that what’s on the outside can be different than what’s going on inside. But a marriage is a house. You invest in it. You make the repairs. And you love it. Because inside is everything that ever meant something to you…Never walk away from what you spent a lifetime building. There will come a point that you wish you had more time together so cherish the time that you do have… Stand by her. Sacrifice for her. Then love her. Love her all the way to the end….”

Okay now seriously go back and read that quote again! Truly – what powerful words of advice!! And how true for all of us who are married – our marriages are a house that we have invested in and repaired over the years and loved – and it’s true that everything that ever meant something to us IS inside of it, so for marriage troubles that we can fix through sacrifice and loyalty and love… we should! We should fix them instead of walking away from what we’ve spent a lifetime building…we should make the effort needed and then love each other all the way to the end.

Now you hopefully see why I love these Hallmark Movies so much – they always give reminders about the importance of love and kindness and selflessness. So now I am going to post this blog and go snuggle up to my adorable husband who I plan to love to the very end, and we are going to watch another Hallmark movie while we sip our hot chocolate with extra whipped cream:)

Happy start to the Holiday Season everyone!

~Amy Rees Anderson