When you’re in a new relationship, it can sometimes feel strange, perhaps even uncomfortable, to celebrate it the way you did your previous one. Whether your last relationship ended due to becoming a widow (or widower) or you simply decided to go your separate ways, there can even be a feeling of being disloyal, even though the old relationship is over and the new one is what you should be focused on.
The fact is, it’s so important to celebrate your anniversary with your partner, and it’s worth understanding why that’s the case, as it might help you get past the challenging feelings you’re having and ensure you move forward happily and healthily. With that in mind, read on to find out more.
Create Memories
We’re all so busy in our lives that taking the time to make memories with our loved ones probably doesn’t happen as much as we might like – perhaps we don’t even think about doing it at all. The problem is that at some point, memories are all we’ll have, so it’s worth trying to create as many good times and fun moments as you can.
If you’re struggling to do that, your anniversary is the ideal excuse to take some time off work and away from all the usual chores and tasks you need to complete and just focus on having some fun with your partner. You can go on a trip, go out for a meal, or just stay in and have a wonderfully relaxing day with a takeout and movies. You can do anything you want, and while you’re enjoying yourself, you’ll be creating some fabulous memories you can look back on time and time again as the years go by.
Connect With One Another
Again, it’s that busy world we live in that can often be to blame, but time can also be an issue here – we just don’t connect with one another in a loving and kind way after a while. It’s usually not because of any particular problem or event, but it’s simply that we start to take one another for granted unintentionally, and that can quickly become a bit of a habit.
When you make time to specifically celebrate your anniversary, you’ll be able to connect with one another again and remember what it is that made you fall in love in the first place. Sometimes it just needs that one day together to rekindle the romance and reignite that special connection and remind you that your relationship is a special one that shouldn’t be taken for granted at all.
You Can Make Plans
Maybe you have some vague plans that you may or may not get around to at some point in the distant future. Maybe you’re just living day to day and you don’t have any plans at all. Well, when you take a day to be together for your anniversary, you can make all the plans you want to and really cement them in as well.
Making plans isn’t always an easy thing to do, so why not incorporate the gift you get your partner into your planning? You might buy some plane tickets so you can start planning your next vacation, or perhaps something smaller like thermal gloves for men if you want to go somewhere cold or some sunblock if you’d prefer to go somewhere hot. No matter what your budget, buying a gift that links nicely to future plans and then starting to make those plans is a fantastic way to spend your anniversary, and it will help you feel much more positive and accomplished in your life in general as well.
You Can Show Gratitude
If you’re in a good, strong relationship, it’s highly likely that you’ll have been through some tough times together – and separately – and made it to the other side because you’re together and you support one another. From small annoyances to big, traumatic events, being a strong couple means you can rely on one another to be there and help each other no matter what.
That’s a very special thing, and it’s not a connection or relationship that everyone has, which is why it’s so important to celebrate your anniversary – you can show gratitude to the person who has helped you through all those bad times or challenges (and who’s been there when things were good too, of course!) in a meaningful way, ensuring that your relationship stays strong for a long time to come.
It’s A Great Excuse To Have Fun
Even if you’re saving hard for a big purchase or you’re busy at work or you have other responsibilities and going out and having fun isn’t usually on your radar, your anniversary is the one day in the whole year when it makes sense to get out of the house and try something new and enjoyable.
The reason is that you’re both together. Unlike a birthday when only one person is celebrating and spending a decent amount of money or taking time away from other things can feel a bit much, or at Christmas (for example) when everyone is celebrating so if you do something it’s not really special, your anniversary is the one time of the year when you and your partner are both celebrating the same thing at the same time. So why not splurge a little and use your anniversary as an excuse to have some fun?
Do something completely new and different or do something you’ve always loved but haven’t done for a while – the choice is yours. Just make sure whatever you do is something you’ll both find fun otherwise it’s not fair and not really what an anniversary celebration should be all about.
Final Thoughts
It can be hard to celebrate an anniversary for many reasons. Sometimes it’s even the fact that you don’t want to cause a fuss and just think it’s not important enough to worry about. The fact is, though, that your anniversary is important, and your celebration is the chance to show that to each other – and that’s what really counts.
This is a contributed post.