Every year I purchase the same big wall calendar, not because I have a good use for it, but because I love how it looks. Simple craft paper pages with big squares, it looks great on my wall, and, up until now, has essentially been useless. This year, all of that changed.

Over morning coffee recently, Tom and I were talking about not only the year ahead, but the years ahead, and how to be good stewards of our time, and, of our relationship. Because we have a lot of people that we love, and places in which to put our time, energy and gifts to use, if not careful, we would find ourselves with only the crumbs left for us as a couple. That’s when I understood exactly how to use that wall calendar. It is now officially known as our This Is Us Calendar. The only things on there are those that we plan for the two of us.

It is a visual reminder of the priority we want, and need, to place on our relationship. When that gets neglected, everything goes to hell in a hand basket real fast.

Not everyone needs a This Is Us Calendar, but everybody needs a Fill-In-The-Blank Calendar.

What’s yours?