Speaking Love

I might be one of the few people left in America who was only generally familiar with Gary Chapman's love languages idea. (His book, The Five Love Languages, has been a NYT bestseller for about five years, I believe.)

And I read it by accident. I was trying to learn how to download audiobooks from my library to my iPhone, quickly scanning titles while a helpful librarian waited, and I clicked Chapman's book for singles. I'm almost done listening to it -- and I want to thank you, Gary, for helping me get through unpacking my suitcase, wrapping my presents, and baking my Christmas cookies.

For my own benefit as much as yours, I'm going to review the languages here. 

They are: 

Words of affirmation
Acts of service
Physical touch
Quality time
Gifts

Sadly, a guy can do acts of service until he turns blue, but if his woman's love language is quality time, she's annoyed the whole time he's out mowing the lawn. And vice versa.

Of course, this info is helpful all the way down the family and among friends too. One of my best friends speaks the language of gifts, I think, because she almost never comes to my house without one. Gifts aren't one of my chief love languages -- though if you got me something for Christmas, do send it! But now that I'm thinking this about my friend, I will be way more excited about the pastries she brings, and I will see them as expressing her love for me (as opposed to, say, her fear I won't have anything decent to serve with tea!). 

This is important: something that wouldn't in itself mean a lot to me has huge meaning when I realize where it's coming from!

It might be fun to think about the languages when you spend time with family over the holidays.  Be a detective. Try an experiment. Let me know how it works.