Week 30: July 24

"The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts" by Gary Chapman

I was excited to dive into this book because not only had I heard great things about it, but I wanted to look at this as a chance to better my own marriage. Not to say our marriage needed any immediate help, but it never hurts to try and understand each other and to treat each other a little better to show your love for one another.

The 5 Love Languages that Dr. Chapman describes are:
1) Words of Affirmation
2) Quality Time
3) Gifts
4) Acts of Service
5) Physical Touch

He describes each of these in their own chapter and paints a clear and easy picture of how to understand the languages of each. Some I realized overlap a bit but it was good to have examples of real couples going through each of these languages.

The biggest takeaway was the realization of not only your own love language but the love language of your spouse and how you need to overcome any hesitations or discomforts to learn their language. I thought I had BJ's all figured out but it turns out I was wrong. I thought I knew my own but, again, I realized it was another.

I always thought mine was Acts of Service because I get so discouraged when BJ doesn't help me with the daily chores. Diving in a bit more, I realized it to be more Quality Time. I enjoy it most when we do things together, including chores, and work as a team I feel the most content and loved.

I always thought BJ's was Words of Affirmation but thinking back to arguments we've had, I think he's more of a Quality Time also. Dr. Chapman was quick to point out that two of the same languages don't necessarily mean peace and harmony. There are also different dialects to think about.

This was a fun read that made you look to yourself, put yourself in the hot seat to get answers. I encourage all to take a look at this book!