By Monique deGroot
It’s February which means love is in the air! Personally I’m a bit old-fashioned when it comes to Valentine’s Day. Flowers and chocolates, a romantic dinner and movie are right up my alley, but for your significant other it may be the total opposite. Some of you may be thinking of a special thing to do or buy for your partner, but have a difficult time figuring out what would make them feel extra special. You can’t expect to have ESP (which has been shown to be unreliable) when it comes to knowing what they want. Do you know what a love language is? I had no idea until a girlfriend of mine recommended the book “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman to me. It was a great insight.
There’s a simple way to find out what makes you feel loved and appreciated and it’s determining what your love language is. For example, when your partner knows your love language then you won’t receive flowers when what you really wanted was “one on one” quality time together. Now women, this is not a one way street. Men need to feel the love too. This could mean a round of golf or letting him pick the movie (without rolling your eyes). Some men’s love language is Acts of Service and might prefer having their car filled with gas and detailed or breakfast in bed. We tend to show love the way we’d like to receive it instead of how they’d like to receive it.
Here are the love languages outlined in the book “The Five Love Languages”:
1. Quality Time
2. Gifts
3. Acts of Service
4. Words of Affirmation
5. Physical Touch
My love language is gifts which means if you give me something (it doesn’t matter the cost) I feel loved and appreciated. The idea is that all of us receive and give love in different ways. I highly recommend getting the book and learning what your love languages are together. Even if you’re not currently in a romantic relationship this information is very helpful for any form of relationships i.e. family, friends, etc. So go get your love on!
