Honest question: Do you have children?<p>I&#x27;m asking, because my wife and I had a similar routine earlier in our marriage – though perhaps less structured than yours. After we had a child, it&#x27;s been harder to make time for that. If anything, it&#x27;s more important to have a routine like this after becoming parents – but takes even more commitment to the idea.<p>A friend of mine proposed a tongue-in-cheek test for parents to assess the health of their relationship. <i>Have you and your spouse had a conversation in the last week about something other than the family (kids, elderly parents, etc.) or work?</i> He meant it mostly as a joke, but there are definitely weeks where I look back and struggle to remember a real adult conversation with my wife about anything non-family, non-work, and lately non-politics.<p>Anyway, I completely agree with you. Relationships require work, deliberate reflection, etc. You and your spouse will be different people when you&#x27;re 35 than you were when you met at 25 (or whatever ages apply to you). You will grow and change. You can either grow apart or grow together.