It's The Little Things

It's Valentine's Week!  That means love is in the air and those who aren't feeling it are a little bitter.  I challenge you to show love all week.  We should already be doing this everyday, but we don't, so give it a try.  Who knows, making other people feel good might even make you feel better as well!

According to Gary Chapman, there are five love languages.  We all know this, but bear with me!  People feel as if they are loved in different ways.  Words of Affirmation and Quality Time make me giddy inside, but I'd rather you not get me a lot of gifts or try to do things for me.  I can carry my own bag, just tell me I'm doing a great job!

They boyfriend is a little different though.  His love language is physical touch.  Whenever I neglect to hold his hand, or sit close enough to him, he feels unloved and that's something I need to constantly be thinking about.  It isn't natural for us to show love in ways that we don't expect to be loved, but it's very important understand that people are different.

I have come up with a few ways to show love in each category of love languages, but this is by no means a comprehensive list.  There is always room for some creativity!

Words of Affirmation:  Praise them.  Tell them that they are beautiful or handsome.  Tell them you are proud of their work they are doing, whether it was studying for a big test or going to a job everyday to provide for their family.  Or, you could thank them for things they do everyday that you don't necessarily enjoy doing.  For example, Chelsea's fiance thanked her for doing the dishes!  Apparently, he absolutely hates doing the dishes. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.  Don't forget to use their name (if you know it) and be specific!  If you don't know their name, find out!

Acts of Service: The other day at school, this girl was carrying a five gallon bucket filled with ceramic clay and somebody asked her if she needed help.  She turned him down, but he still held the door open for her.  It's the little things, guys!

Make someone breakfast.  Do that chore the other person hates, without expecting a thank you in return.  Even just offering to help goes a long way.  Sometimes you might be turned down, but it's nice to know that the kindness was being thought of.

Receiving Gifts: Some people love receiving gifts and there are tons of ways you can give them.  You could hand out Valentine's Day cards to strangers.  Or lottery tickets.  You could pay for someones coffee. Gifts do not have to be expensive.  Be creative!

Quality Time: There is nothing quite like spending time with loved ones.  Have a movie night or take someone out to dinner.  Play a board game with your family.  Just spend some time with them.  You all know how to do that, right?

Physical Touch: One of the things that attracted me to the boyfriend was the way he hugs.  His hugs aren't those limp tap you on the back and walk away kind of hugs.  He wraps his arms around you tight and big bear hugs.  They are perfect. You can hold their hand, wipe their hair from their face.  Anything related to touching, but you might want to keep it PG if you are in public.  There are children watching!

And as always, don't forget the power of a smile!

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