Kristina Wright[1] is busy. She’s a full-time freelance writer, wife, and mother of two. Spare time. Kristina doesn’t have it.
In spite of that, she describes her connection with her husband as profoundly tight. “We are together even when we are apart,” she says.
Sounds kind of magical, right? What’s her secret?
Text messages.
In a recent article[2] she explained, “My husband and I text each other like teenagers. We have far more texting conversations than we do face-to-face…”
If you’re thinking that sounds like a red flag, you’re not alone. She gets that feedback fairly often.
But she points to the fact that they’re way more connected than most couples. And given how frequently they communicate, it’s hard to argue.
So, is that it? The so-called absolute best way to communicate is texting?
No. Not exactly.
Wright and her hubby are busy people. And writing comes naturally to both of them. Because of their schedules, they rarely spend 30 minutes chatting on the phone. So texting is the backbone of their communication.
But that’s because it works for them.
Text messages aren’t the important thing. No, the important thing is the discovery these two made. A discovery about what makes communication work.
Communication is kind of like working out. If you want to get in better shape, there are literally hundreds of ways to do it. Run, swim, spin, lift weights, cardio classes, yoga—you name it.
Your local gym probably has more options than you even know about. And the best fitness plan is the one that works for you. The one you stick with long enough to reap the rewards.
Communication is the same way.
It really doesn’t matter what works for another couple. Communication isn’t some cookie-cutter thing. Nope. You and your guy have to work together to figure out what fits for you.
Let me help.
If you’re struggling to find a solid way to stay connected, try out different kinds of communication until you find the one that clicks for you.
Maybe it’s one night a week with no TV. Maybe it’s scheduled 20-minute phone calls at lunch. Maybe it’s working out together. Or maybe, like the Wright’s, it’s text messaging.
The temptation is to look at other couples and copy their methods. Don’t do that.
The best way to communicate is whatever works for you and your guy.
Experiment until you find a combination of methods that work best in your relationship. And when you figure it out, expand your use of that particular method.
Successful long-term couples have been customizing their communication for ages. Doing the same can make a world of difference in your own relationship.
Take just five minutes right now. Invest that five minutes by just thinking. Think about how you communicate with the special guy in your life. See what patterns you can notice.
Then come up with a plan. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just try something, learn, and repeat.
[1] Wright, Kristina. Kristina Wright. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
[2] Wright, Kristina. “My Husband and I Text More Than We Talk — and That’s OK.” Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan, 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.
Love this. Do what works for you both. GREAT advice.
Interesting you brought that up James:) My hubby and I communicate a lot with touch. Whenever we walk past each other, we’ll touch the arm or back or hug or take each other’s hand for just a few seconds. It actually speaks louder than words for us. He loves it when I scratch his back and I don’t like it when he scratches my back. I like it when he puts a firm hand on my lower back. That communicates love to me. We know each other’s love language, and so we try to convey our love for each other in the way that the other person understands. We also text like we’re teens. And it brings us closer. Our texts aren’t boring and I do not let my teens hang over my shoulder to look at my text when my hubby and I are texting lol. Funny story: I changed my hubby’s name to “Mr.Man” on my phone. My daughter was curious who Mr.Man was. I turned my phone away from her, and text my hubby that we should trick our daughter. So he text me, asking me if my hubby would be home tonight. I knew my daughter was looking over my shoulder, but pretended I didn’t know it. And I text him back a time that I could sneak around with him. My teen was so angry that she stomped into her room. Hahahaha we had a good laugh! We kept up the Mr.Man texts when he got home and she soon figured out it was her dad texting me 😂😂 poor child. I think we almost traumatized her lol but if she wants to hang over my shoulder all the time staring at my text, I can’t help but pull a prank or 2! Haha
That’s cute
Something to read Mi Amour