Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and love it or hate it, the holiday inevitably prompts people to think about love and relationships. So, we've decided to focus our weekly (more or less) blog posts during the month of February on couples issues during different phases of a romantic relationship or marriage. Specifically, we will look at issues like how to do you make your love last over time; navigating transitions in a relationship, like marriage and kids; intimacy; and searching for "the one."
To get us thinking about love, we wanted to start out with a short exercise on how you show love and experience love in order to become more mindful of our own "love language."
When do you feel most cared about and loved?
1 When your partner hangs up his/her towel after a shower.
2 When your partner makes time for you.
3 When your partner surprises you with a gift.
4 When s/he gives you physical affection.
5 When s/he verbally expresses his/her feelings for you.
You may have answered yes to each one, but which one makes you feel the most cared about? Knowing how you recieve love is important for both you and your partner to know. Likewise, it's important to know how your partner recieves love as well.
There is a wonderful book called The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman (http://www.5lovelanguages.com/) that explains 5 different ways people express and recieve love. There is even a little quiz on their website much like the one above to take to discover which is best for you. Finding your language of love will help intensify your relationship and help you both feel closer to each other. They also have a book about love languages for kids that is fascinating.
Be mindful of how you give and experience love. Increased awareness of this central aspect of your relationship will help you feel love on a deeper level.
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