The first signs of spring are in the air, and so is love. When the sun warms the earth, and we can exchange our heavy winter coats for lighter clothes, everyone seems to have a lighter step and easier smile. Birds are singing and sap is running….. and it seems easier to fall in love again.
I’m wondering….. how are your relationships doing? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to feel a renewed sense of intimacy as you enjoy the renewal of spring?
Bringing New Life to Your Love
Love is such a multifaceted thing. For a long time now I have thought of love as a verb. I’m not referring to the kind of ‘love’ you find in the sappy songs, and ‘puppy love’ of young people. I am talking about real, gritty, day-in, day-out love. The kind of love that endures hardships and frustrations. The kind of love that inspires you to stay up all hours of the night with a sick child.
The ways we show love can be very different. So different, in fact, that we can be blind to someone’s acts of love because we don’t recognize them.
Think of a time when your partner did something that just made your heart sing. What was it? Did they snuggle with you on the couch for an evening in front of a movie? Did they buy you a gift? Perhaps they told you how special you were to them. Or maybe you’re the kind of person who loves it when your husband shovels the driveway before you have to leave for work in the morning.
These are all ways of showing love – each of them equal in importance and as heart-felt as the other.
De-stressing Your Relationship
Did you know that you have an innate need to be loved in a very particular way? If your partner isn’t showing love in a way you recognize, then you can end up feeling unloved.
When you know what each other’s love language is, you can show your love in a way that let’s your partner know and feel that you love them. This can take an enormous amount of stress off your relationship, and can build a greater sense of intimacy very quickly!
The languages of love have been researched and documented by Dr. Gary Chapman as follows:
- Words of affirmation
- Acts of service
- Receiving gifts
- Quality time
- Physical touch
Next time you have an evening together with your partner, explore how you can fill each other’s need for feeling loved. If you approach the topic with curiosity and openness, I think you’ll have a fascinating, enlightening, and fun encounter.
Resources For Your Relationship
Thanks to Dr. Gary Chapman’s work, there are wonderful resources to help you effectively translate and speak love in your partnership. His book is called “The 5 Love Languages”, and you can find a link for it here. If you aren’t interested in reading a whole book, there is an online quiz you can take for free here.
Children have love languages too! There is a book written in the same series about children.
