It doesn't take much...

It's early morning, & I am unable to sleep. Since my daughter is home sick, I've been at home & consequently, doing a lot of cooking & thinking. I have been on a health craze lately & am trying once again to discover recipes that are both delicious & healthy. Strangely enough, I am enjoying it. Sometimes, I think it's good to spend more time at home, give the brain & body a rest, & remove oneself from the distractions of needless running around.

I am sure many of the people who read this blog have heard of the 5 Love Languages. Gary Chapman wrote a few books about them. Let's see if I can remember them: Touch, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, & Gifts. According to Gary Chapman, we all have a love language or a combination of them. There is value in understanding them when it comes to relating to yourself & others (especially your spouse & children).

If you can identify the love language of your family members, then you can be more intentional about meeting their needs, speaking their language, loving them. It also holds true that if you try to reach their needs through your own love language, it is less effective. Kind of like giving a gift that you would like but not something the recipient would enjoy.

I have always viewed myself as a combination of 3 or 4 of the 5 Love Languages. A few days ago, it occurred to me that my love language really isn't on the list. It's plain & simple: kindness. I love to be treated kindly, to observe kindness, & to treat others kindly. When I am not treated kindly, I am like a deflated balloon.

Nothing makes my heart tick like seeing a mother treating her child tenderly. I love to catch a married couple looking lovingly into each other's eyes. It even rocks my world to see someone loving on their pet. Whether it's reaching out to a homeless person, being kind to a child, simply a gentle answer to a question, a small favor, an understanding tone of voice, or an expression of compassion in a loved ones eyes, all of these things make my heart beat. It doesn't take much. It's just a way of life...