The Sunday comics may seem an odd place to find salient marriage advice, but as the calendar turns I’m reminded of the last strip that my all-time favorite comic artist ever published. On December 31, 1995 a new Calvin and Hobbes strip appeared in newspapers for the last time. To the heartbreak of fans around the world, Watterson retired the beloved characters, stating he had “done all he could with them.”
The scene: The boy and his tiger stand knee deep in snow holding a sled, eyes wide. The text goes like this:
C: Wow! It really snowed last night! Isn't it wonderful?
H: Everything familiar has disappeared! The world looks brand new!
C: A new year... a fresh, clean start!
H: it's like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on!
C: A day full of possibilities!
C: It's a magical world, Hobbes ol' buddy... let's go exploring!
Despite being an end, it speaks wondrously to new adventures, fun to be had, and indeed, endless possibilities.
As Watterson named his characters with obvious religious symbolism, it doesn’t feel too wrong to find a godly message here. God says in Revelation 21:5 “I am making everything new!” Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Even in the Old Testament, the author of Lamentations says “[The Lord's] compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”
Whether or not we begin the year with a blanket of unspoiled snow covering our landscape, be reminded of this. God’s mercies are new. There are endless possibilities, and plenty to explore - including your marriage, and your spouse. Break out of old routines. Learn a new skill together; take a cooking class, or go to a painting night. Renew your efforts to learn things about your husband or wife that you don’t yet know - there are plenty. Buy each other a new article of clothing, and then wear them on a date to somewhere you’ve never been before. Choose a book neither of you has read; read it and discuss. Make a list of new bedroom “adventures” and see how long into the new year you get before needing to come up with more.
Shared experiences of new things can strengthen your bonds as they spur the bodies release of hormones like dopamine, adrenaline, and serotonin. These chemicals all are associated with new and passionate love. Think about it… the beginning of any relationship is marked by novelty, mystery and anxiety. Even though you know each other a little better now, you can recreate those bonding experiences by continuing to try new things together.
