February is all about acts of loving kindness. What is your language of love? Read on to learn how you can better offer loving acts when you understand how your recipients best receive your messages.
Your monthly tip to strengthen the relationships of those you serve. Share it – Post it – Pass it on! It’s not surprising that expressing love is part of healthy marriages and committed relationships. But what does “love” look like? Well, it depends. Family history, gender, cultural and other special circumstances, and ethnic influences lead individuals to have different expectations and acceptable norms for marriage and intimate relationships. When people show love, they often do things that they themselves would like. But if their “primary love language” differs from their partner’s, then the partner might not recognize it as an expression of love. Share these concepts from Gary Chapman’s 1995 book The Five Love Languages with those you serve. Have them choose which love language they identify with most and which their partner identifies with most. Try it with your own significant other, too!
- Words of Affirmation. “I feel most loved when my partner uses kind words and compliments to tell me how much I am valued and appreciated.”
- Quality Time. “I feel most loved when my partner gives me full attention and I am able to spend alone time with my partner.”
- Receiving Gifts. “I feel most loved when my partner gives me gifts.”
- Acts of Service. “I feel most loved when my partner does things for me, such as cooking dinner, doing laundry, cleaning, and taking care of the car.”
Personal Touch. “I feel most loved when my partner shows his/her feelings through physical contact such as holding hands, kissing, hugging, or sex.”
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