36 questions to love for married couples

I recently read about the 36 questions to fall in love with anybody. Since my mother-in-law was staying with us last week, on Friday my husband and I went out for a few drinks. But before we left the house, I downloaded an app called 36 to love.

Around 10 in the evening we sat down on high bar stools and I told him I'd like to give this experiment a try. Luckily he was on board immediately, curious about the process. Surely we have been together for over 10 years by now (married for nearly 7), we have children and we're all in all a somewhat regular couple with life's ups and downs. We desperately didn't need this project, but we could potentially benefit from it, so it was a no brainer for both of us.

Image: pixabay.com

The point of the game is to answer the question on the screen. Both participants take turns and once both are happy with each other's answers and have done the after talk that evidently follows, the question will be swiped to the left to make room for the next one.

During the questions, the level of intimacy gradually builds up. You start with easy questions, such as if you'd like to be famous and why, but soon enough you'll find yourself answering questions about the way you were raised, what things you are dreaming about and reliving your most embarrassing moments.

This question totally cracked both
of us up. "Everything" wasn't
sufficient enough answer we soon
learned.

This experiment was supposed to take a few hours tops, but at 01:30 we were still sitting on a bench outside going through some of the questions. During the answers I had come to realize several points about the person I've been sharing the biggest things in my life with.

When he talked about particular things in his childhood, I suddenly understood him better as a parent. I saw where he was coming from and why he thought and did things certain way. When we talked about our dreams and fears, there were surprises on both ends and when we praised each other and gave thanks to each other, we were both definitely happier and more in love with each other than before. But we also stirred some crap that we had nearly forgotten about. Because we know each other so well, we didn't let the other get off the hook so easily with superficial answers.

In the end, swimming so deep was purifying, albeit we caught some mud on the way. Luckily, years together had taught us to let that dilute, until we were back to clear waters again.

The last task was to stare into each other's eyes for four minutes. It made me realize how hard it is to concentrate for so long on such an intimate act. How little time did we actually take to do such small efforts that could bring us back to each other so much faster? When I looked at him so intently, I saw our children in his face, I saw his vulnerability, his love and I saw myself.

I know the questions are meant for people looking to fall in love, but from our experience I can also say they are excellent questions for couples who think they know each other, too. The process will definitely add an extra touch of intimacy to the relationship. 

For many it might seem natural that relationships to remain close and loving over the years take a lot of work from both participants, but I'm sure there are also those who might have overlooked this fact, too. If you're looking to reconnect with your partner, I can definitely recommend trying this out. If you're in a fully committed, loving relationship, you should still try this one out. 

If you walk out with anything from this article, let it be this: Great relationships aren't just naturally great. It's the continuous, genuine effort by both participants that makes them great.