When I was growing up, I was with my grandparents most of the time. Even though I am older now, I am at my grandma’s house more than I am at my own house when I go home to visit. I have always loved spending time with them. I consider my grandma one of my best friends. 

One of the things I loved the most about being with my grandma and grandpa was seeing the love they had for each other. My grandparents had a relationship like no other. 

It was unique; it was admirable; it was old-fashioned and it was pretty perfect. 

When they began their relationship back in the 40’s, things were much different. There was no texting, no online dating and no social media. 

Things had to be different, you actually had to talk to the person you were interested in face-to-face. The things you did mattered because you did not get to talk to them all of the time. 

I wish that dating could be like it used to be, where dating was actually dating and not just talking or hanging out. Actually going places, spending time together and getting to know each other means a lot to a person. 

It not only allows you to get to know the person on a deeper level, but you can also have fun while doing it. 

I think that some of the most important things in a relationship are being forgotten. The little things matter. To me, it’s not the big things that matter. Yes, they are nice, but I do not need big extravagant things in a relationship to be happy. 

Doing the little things shows how much you care. Gestures speak so much louder than words. I think our generation has forgotten this. 

I can remember while growing up, my grandpa and grandma always did little things for each other. 

Almost every holiday or birthday my grandpa would get a corsage for my grandma to wear to church or out to different places. He liked to be sneaky about it too. He would hide the flowers in various places – the fridge, mailbox, etc.

My grandma has made my grandpa a heart-shaped chocolate cake with fluffy white frosting every year on Valentine’s Day now for more than sixty years. She did not have to do so, but she knew he liked the cake and she liked to show how much she cared. 

I, like many other people, am a sucker for both flowers and cake, so either one of these would make someone extremely happy. 

You can show you care in many ways. The important thing is that you find out what works for your relationship. Make it a rule that one night a week, you and your significant other have a date night together. It does not have to be anything extravagant, just do something special with each other. 

Two of the most important things in a relationship are trust and communication. Make sure that you have those and the rest will come. 

It is important to show how much you care. Just remember, the little things are the big things. 

They matter more than you think they would. 

Just remember my grandma and grandpa. They did not have to do the things they did for each other. They did them because they wanted to and it made both of them happy to do so. 

Get to know the person you are with, and do not forget the little things.

 

Kenda Davis is an agricultural communications major at SDSU and can be reached at [email protected].