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Army retreat is affirmation of love
Military spouse
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“A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.”
–Earl Wilson

I’m not exactly sure if a three-day marriage retreat counts as a vacation, but it’s having the desired effect. After hearing these Army-hosted retreats talked up for nearly two years, my husband and I decided to finally give it a go.
And I’m certainly glad we did.
I mean, who complains about a free stay at a resort in Hilton Head? Not me.
My beach view room and king size bed (that’s far more comfortable than the one at home in my bedroom) have made this little reprieve worth every traffic-bombarded second of the three-hour drive that Mapquest told me should take two.
This weekend’s retreat is shaped around Gary Chapman’s book, “The 5 Love Languages.” Last summer, I read the book and Josh and I took the quiz to discover our love languages.
So coming in, we were already quite aware that I operate almost entirely on “Words of Affirmation,” while he tends to better understand “Acts of Service” and “Physical Touch.” Still, after taking the quiz again on Friday,
Josh’s response to seeing my abnormally high score under “Words of Affirmation” was a very serious “You suck.”
“Dear, I think you’re missing the point,” I said.
I get it though. I didn’t marry my husband for his communication skills. For all of his intelligence, and he has plenty, he’s a bit of a caveman when it comes to words.
During a game of “Scrabble,” I love that. When I’m looking for some love, not so much.
In the same way, I struggle to find the value in washing the dishes or cooking a meal from scratch, while he sees that as a perfect way of showing love.
Really though, between the wonderful amenities, the brief separation from reality and the time put into our relationship, I can’t imagine this weekend will be anything less than a success.
If you haven’t been on a marriage retreat before, or if it’s been a while, I strongly suggest it.
Because a break from reality is just what vacations are for.

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