Hi there! It’s been a while, but that’s how life’s been. One thing that’s come back to my mind lately is love languages. You might’ve heard of these. There’s a book by Gary Chapman, a website, and a whole lot of conversation out there in cyberland. If you don’t already know what these are, they’re basically (paraphrased): - Gifts - Acts of service - Words of affirmation - Quality time - Physical touch Now I know what you’re saying, right? All of these are good, and welcome. I’m totally with you there. They are. I will never be upset with anyone for any of these things. You’ve got my word on that!
But still, some mean more than others, and that’s something which varies for each person. For example, while it’s lovely and deeply appreciated when people give me gifts or acts of service, and while I cherish (and save) those words of affirmation, what really speaks to me is quality time and physical touch. And yes, those are what’s been in super-short supply over the last few (few??? try 15…) months. And yes, that’s hard.
What really caught my attention lately, though, is how I give gifts of love. And the short answer there is that sometimes it’s opportunistic. Trust me, I’d much rather give the people I care about quality time and physical touch! (Perhaps more than they want at times...) Sometimes, though – like right now in our world – the gifts we can give are limited by circumstances. Sometimes they’re limited by time, or distance, or comfort-level, or appropriateness. Giving your boss a hug might not be the best choice (it might, you never know …) but letting them know you appreciate them or bringing them a coffee isn’t likely to offend anyone.
The point here is a simple one. We live in difficult times. We all have little things in our life for which we’re grateful – though some days, those take a little more effort to find. We all want and need to feel appreciated. What can you do today – through any of the love languages – to let someone know they matter?

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 15, 2021 at 6:40 AM

    Social Media has allowed messages to be sent to appreciative friends and family. Receiving emails from you and Aneeta with a Certificate of Appreciation made my days and made me realize that, yes, I have made a difference. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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