Grandpa,
My wife and I have been married (a very short number of weeks). We both work full-time jobs and there are no children. Our time should be ours, right? We have a healthy social life. We live well within our means and have a savings plan in place. The only problem I see in our lives is in the romance department. When I get home before her, I make a nice dinner, have candles lit and (other romantic arrangements Grandpa will not list). And she falls asleep right after her shower! I finally asked her about it. She told me that the smooth jazz music I play puts her to sleep. I find smooth jazz to be quite romantic. Can you suggest something to play that will not rattle me out of the mood or send her to snooze-ville?
Grandpa says: I cannot. She can. You are asking the wrong person. If you don’t want to ask, then take a cue from her. What does she listen to on her car radio? What does she play when she is setting up a romantic evening? Or, try playing no music at all. But whatever you do, never let your romantic evenings become mundane. Remember, romance is a lifestyle, not a marathon event, or a conquest.
Grandpa,
I have been feeling a bit distressed over this stay at home rule, so I have been reading the Psalms. The 56th Psalm is a “Song for the Distressed”. Says it was “To the Chief Musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim”. I can find nothing about who or what that might be. Can you help?
Grandpa says: This expression, which appears in the superscription of the 56th Psalm is a Hebrew phrase. In English one could transliterate it to mean “The dove of the far-off oaks”. Let us remember the dove has a very mournful call and a gentle disposition. The Psalmist, a fugitive in a foreign land, may have felt like a dove forced from his nesting place. That certainly would explain his use of the expression to convey his feelings. Then there is the theory that the expression is but the title of the song according to the melody of which the 56th Psalm was to be intoned. You made a good choice to turn to the Book of Psalms when dealing with your feelings of distress. Given the cause of your distress, might I suggest you delve into the 60th and 67th Psalms? Our Nation, as with the rest of the world, certainly needs the calm hand of God now.
Grandpa says: Beloved readers, irrespective of your political views of the events over the past six months, we all agree that our Nation has been dealt a vicious blow. It is important that we all keep a calm head and spirit of community. Let us, as a united people, look not to blame, shame, or defame any. Let us, instead, look to one another to offer a healing hand, a word of encouragement, a spirit of love for one another. There is nothing more powerful than sharing love and peace.
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Aurora, IL 60507 or send an E-mail to askgrandpa@thevoice.us.