A long time ago we watched a classic movie called, "The Good Earth." In that movie the woman has a pearl that to her, is a symbol of her husband's love for her.
Once a year my husband goes on a business trip to teach at a convention. And whenever he comes home he brings me a gift. It’s a very small gift but it has great meaning for the two of us. Near the airport is a small shop that sells cans containing one oyster apiece. These oysters were scanned before they were processed to be sure that they contain a pearl. When you get a can, you open it up, drain off the stinky preserving liquid, rinse off the oyster, and then pry it open. Inside, you will find a pearl. You rinse it off and rub it with salt to shine it up. Sometimes the pearl is round and beautifully white. Sometimes it has a small dark spot and may not have a perfectly round shape. Some are whiter, others more cream colored or with a grayish tinge. I have quite a collection of these pearls now that Jerry has brought to me over the years. Our children are always part of the "opening" ceremony when he brings one of these oysters home. Then we get out the little ring box containing all the other pearls that have been collected and add it to the box, enjoying looking at all the pearls before we put it away. I will probably never make earrings or a ring or a necklace out of these pearls. Perhaps someday I will give them to my daughters. But for now, I just enjoy taking them out and looking at them once in a while, just like in the movie, to remember the love of my husband for me.
Taking time to do and say little things each day to a spouse helps keep love alive and vibrant in a marriage. I love it when my husband calls during the day, comes up from his office to give me a kiss, or runs a bath for me in the evening. I like this quote from President Spencer W. Kimball that emphasizes the need to nurture the relationship between husband and wife.
"Love is like a flower, and like the body, it needs constant feeding. The mortal body would soon be emaciated and die if there were not frequent feedings. The tender flower would wither and die without food and water. And so love, also, cannot be expected to last forever unless it is continually fed with portions of love, the manifestation of esteem and admiration, the expressions of gratitude, and the consideration of unselfishness." (Oneness in Marriage, Ensign, March 1977)
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