Halloween Advent

Austin and Meghan Kleon are going to watch a scary black and white movie every night in October.  Here is their list of movies.  What a great October commitment!  It's kind of like an Advent for Halloween.

link

The list -- making it, sticking to it -- reminded me of the Gottman Institute's advice on healthy marriages.  There's the wise Magic 6 Hours to a better relationship. And the October list made me think of some advice about "laughter" that I found in the "marriage minute" email from the Gottman Insitute that comes twice a week.  

During times of stress, overwhelm, and upheaval, it can be difficult to find joy or humor in much at all. But it’s not a betrayal to yourself or the severity of the moment to still find things funny.

What makes you laugh? When was the last time you really laughed out loud?

Was it a podcast you enjoy, a movie that tickled you, or maybe even a really funny video or meme? Is there a way you can share that joy and laughter with your partner?

This week, or just today, seek out things that make you laugh. Find ways to laugh together.

The couple that plays together, stays together.

(Elsewhere you can see the quip: couples that laugh together last together.)

Are the Kleon's laughing together during the scary movies?  Likely.  But more importantly, they're sharing the things that they appreciate together.  And the list makes it a habit, a ritual.  

Jennie and I walked to town to get a coffee after work today in the wildly changing early-fall weather (rain coat, down vest, tee shirt... all worn at various times).  We maybe don't have 31 movies we want to watch together yet.  But we started a few days ago to read poems out loud to each other before bed.  I suggested that maybe we could each read a poem to each other each night.  It could just be the poem.  Or it could be the poem and why we like it, or maybe the story about why we like it.  No analysis, just sharing what we like.

That doesn't sound as fun as watching 31 movies together, I know.  But it's an easy start.  And I can start thinking about what we can do in November.

Tonight, I'm thinking it's going to be Mary Oliver.