A woman decides to invite her husband on a date to rekindle the flame of their love.
He refuses and admits he’s ashamed of her — only to receive an important lesson from one of his best friends.
Jack and Mary had been married for 23 years and had four children, to whom Mary constantly devoted her attention.
Their life had become a routine — something that no longer sparked excitement in their marriage.
Their daily activities were different.
Jack came home from work, lay down on the couch, and watched TV until dinner time.
Meanwhile, Mary worked all day: she prepared dinner, washed everyone’s clothes, took care of the youngest child, and helped the others with their homework.
When Mary finally found some time for herself late at night, she watched romantic movies and imagined herself as the heroine, not the woman in the movie.
She had long dreamed of going on a date, because she and her husband hadn’t done that in a long time.
But when Mary looked in the mirror, she felt sad.
She didn’t look anything like the women in the movies.
When she looked at her wedding photo, she could hardly believe her eyes.
Instead of the happy young woman she once was, she now saw a tired and sad woman.
But she pushed those thoughts away and decided to change her reality.
The next day, when Jack came home from work, she sat down with him at the dinner table.
“Jack, I’ve been thinking… What if we went on a date?
A new beautiful café just opened in town. What if we went there?” she suggested.
Jack laughed mockingly and was surprised Mary was taking the initiative.
“A date? Why should we go on a date? Is it a special day or something?” he asked.
Mary shook her head.
“Well, we don’t have to wait for a special day to go out…
We can make any day special,” she said with a friendly smile.
But instead of being happy about Mary’s proposal, Jack got angry.
“Look at you!” he shouted.
“You look horrible. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Mary was hurt by his harsh words, especially because she looked that way after cleaning the house.
“I just did all the cleaning, that’s why I look like this,” she defended herself.
“Don’t be stupid. You look like this every day. You used to take care of yourself — you did your hair, dressed nicely.
Now you look like an old woman. I don’t know when you let yourself go like this,” Jack said.
Mary’s eyes filled with tears.
“Even when you cry, you look terrible. You want to know the truth?
I’m ashamed of you. I can’t take you on a date,” Jack said before leaving.
Jack went to see his friend Samuel and asked if he wanted to go have a beer at the bar.
But Samuel immediately refused.
“Sorry, buddy. I have a date with my wife tonight. I want to take her to that new café in town.”
Jack felt hurt that his friend preferred to go out with his wife rather than with him at the bar.
Then he saw Samuel going upstairs.
His wife was beautiful in her dress, and her face shone with joy as she held a bouquet of flowers.
“Sam, I just found this bouquet on our table.
Did you put it there?” she asked, kissing him on the cheek.
“Yes, surprise! And that’s not all…” he said, pulling a gift box out from behind the door.
His wife opened the box, and inside was a beautiful evening dress.
“Oh, Sam. It’s gorgeous! You’re the best husband in the world!
I’ll quickly change and put this dress on for our date,” she said excitedly before rushing upstairs.
Jack was shocked by what he had just seen.
“Sam, your wife is simply stunning, and you look so in love!
My wife always looks sad. She barely smiles these days,” he said.
“When was the last time you asked Mary if she wanted to go out with you?” Sam asked his friend.
“I don’t remember… Maybe two years ago?” Jack replied.
“You asked her two years ago, and now you complain she doesn’t smile anymore?!” Sam said, patting his friend’s shoulder.
Sam shook his head and decided to give Jack some valuable advice.
“You know, my friend, I make every day special for my wife. She is the light of our home.
She deserves all my love and respect. She has always been beautiful, but every day she makes an effort to be even more beautiful — because she feels loved.”
Jack was silent, absorbing Sam’s words.
He realized he had responsibilities toward his wife that he hadn’t fulfilled.
“When I go out with my wife, it’s not for a special occasion. I do it because I decide to make every day special.
You should try it too, my friend. It can work wonders for your marriage,” Sam suggested.
Jack nodded, realizing that what Sam said was exactly what Mary had tried to tell him earlier.
“Thank you, Sam. Well, have a good evening tonight. I’m going home now.”
When Jack returned home, he had a gift for Mary.
“I’m sorry for hurting you with my words today.
I was disrespectful, and you didn’t deserve that,” he said, handing her a gift box.
“Would you like to go out with me tomorrow? I reserved a table at that beautiful restaurant in town…”
Mary looked at Jack with surprise.
She was happy and gave him that radiant smile she used to show him every day.
She opened the box and found a beautiful silver necklace.
“It’s so beautiful, Jack. Thank you. I’d love to go out with you tomorrow,” she replied.
The next day, Jack watched Mary transform before his eyes.
She was radiant, and he remembered he had the most beautiful wife in the world.
He was happy, and so was she.
From that day on, Mary and Jack decided to work on their relationship.
They rekindled the flame between them, and it impacted not only them but also their family life.
What can we take from this story?
You don’t need a special occasion to celebrate. You can make every day special.
Jack initially thought dates should be reserved for special occasions.
His good friend Sam made him realize that every day could be memorable — it’s all up to you to make it so.
Show your love, support, and gratitude to your loved ones every day.
Often, we don’t notice the small gestures our loved ones do for us daily.
It’s important to pay attention and show appreciation so that the love in our home continues to thrive.
Share this story with your loved ones. It might inspire them and make their day better.
