As newlyweds, date nights don't happen very often for us right now. But when they do, they are all the more special. I'm excited to begin sharing them here on You Me Serendipity in a new Date Night series! 

Since moving to Tallahassee a little over a year ago, Kurt and I have taken our time exploring the area. While our list of places and things to try is still pretty long, one of our favorite places for a date night is The Wine Loft; it has a lovely, intimate atmosphere with a tasty menu, a great wine list, and is located in one of our favorite parts of town. But one of the things I love most about date nights at The Wine Loft is that it reminds me about the very first date I ever had with Kurt when we were living in Indianapolis! 

During that first date it was clear we both felt nervous and excited, wondering if the person who sat opposite from us was going to be someone to explore a relationship with. Over three hours on a chilly December evening in 2012 we shared a bottle of wine and delicious tapas dishes, our conversation never slowing or stumbling. Date nights at The Wine Loft bring me right back to that first date experience every time we go.

After our most recent date night at The Wine Loft, I thought about why these outings are important in my relationship with Kurt. The anticipation of knowing a date night is planned is exciting; I think about where we are planning to go and what we might talk about while we're there. I spend a little bit of extra time while getting ready, taking care in how I do my makeup and style my hair. I choose an outfit that gives me confidence and is comfortable for what we have planned. And I do it all knowing that Kurt will, at some point in the evening, comment on how beautiful I look. 

Now before you jump to conclusions that I'm just fishing for compliments, let me share this with you. It's not important to me to receive his compliments, but for him to notice that I put in the extra time to look nice because I believe that shows the respect I have for him as a person. And this isn't one sided - Kurt absolutely does the same thing! His choices in attire, how he gently holds my hand throughout the evening or the care with which he selects a bottle of wine show me how much he respects me as well. For Kurt and me, putting that little bit of extra effort in helps us celebrate how much we love and care about one another because we make it our aim to put the best version of ourselves forward for that time together.  

It's the same thing thought process I have when choosing what I'm going to wear to work, when I head to a workout class or when I'm going to a family gathering. I make choices that put my best self forward because I respect the people I'm going to be with. 

For me, committing to those declarations of respect to my friends and family is a huge part of living a life based in subjective perfection. If you remember, choosing to embrace subjective perfection means that, at our core, we value who we are but still strive to make ourselves better. And who better than to help you achieve that goal than your friends and family? By showing those I love how much I care about and respect them, I'm setting myself up to receive help when I need it, while at the same time sharing that I'm available to help them when they need it as well. 

How do you show respect and love to those people and relationships you value most? Share your thoughts in the comments!