16Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.
These words are in response to the husband’s description of the desirability of his wife. He did this using the images of fruit and sweet spices. He said her garden was locked up and filled with all these good things. She now invites him into her garden to enjoy the fruits found there. Part of this dance of desire is what dating is about, but it shouldn’t stop when the dating stops. Part of keeping a relationship alive is for the man to continue to desire his wife, and for his wife to respond to his overtures of desire. When we are young there are usually more frequent overtures than in old age, or at least overtures that end up between the sheets. Old age overtures might be just as frequent, but end with a held hand and smiles in both that radiate. The point of these overtures is the creation and maintenance of the relationship. They provide the connections that make life safe and productive. And these connections start with the expressions of desire, and the attendant responses. This back and forth is what creates the connection. One desires and the other responds with desire. One says that they want a connection, and the other responds saying that they also want the connection. Go and ask for that connection today. Respond to the invitation to connection. It may not end between the sheets, but this kind of connection is always fulfilling.
The Arnold Journey 