Touchstones are the parts of books, movies, poems, artwork or even songs that touch our heart in specific and meaningful ways. It’s usually the part that either takes your breath away or brings tears to your eyes. And it’s often the part you never forget!

Think of favorite movie quotes or favorite songs. What is it about them that grab your attention? It most likely resonates with something you’ve experienced or longed for in your own life.

Some of my touchstones are found in these movies: You’ve Got Mail and Family Man

You’ve Got Mail takes me back to life as a child. My dad owned his own store, a pharmacy not a bookstore. But there are many more parts of the movie that resonate with my own story.

Family Man will always make me cry.

We went on a date night to see this movie right when we were debating whether or not to move or add on to our home.

I have always loved this home, and Tom was ready for a change. We were struggling to agree on which was the best decision for our family. When this part of the movie played on the big screen, I lost it!

“Maybe I was being naive, but I believed that we would grow old together in this house,
that we’d spend holidays here and have our grandchildren come visit us here.
I had this image of us all gray and wrinkly,
and me, working in the garden, and you repainting the deck.
But things change.
If you need this, Jack, if you really need this,
I will take these kids from a life they love, 
and I’ll take myself from the only home we’ve ever shared together,
and I’ll move wherever you need to go.
I’ll do that because I love you.
I love you, and that’s more important to me than our address.
I choose us.”

Needless to say, we added on to our home. It’s been 29 years this Fall. We have welcomed our 9 grandkids here and have become gray and wrinkly too. It was prophetic in a sense.

Touchstones are like that. We never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

What are your spouse’s touchstones? Maybe it’s a car they had, or a special meal. It can be anything that triggers a special moment to them. I challenge you to give it some thought and plan to “wow” your spouse with a special memory. And if you think about it, share it with us in the comments. We all need to be touched in this touchless season of covid.