Snowy Valentine's

This beautiful snowy Valentine's day is all about Love.  It's the kind of day you either look forward to or dread for your own very good reasons, I'm sure.  Did you ever hear about that whole "love language" thing?  I've been hearing about it for decades, and I've read the book.  It all makes sense and yet it still seems like not that many people know how to effectively communicate their feelings to the people they love. How good are you at letting the people you love know you love them?

The basic principle behind the book The Five Love Languages is that people express and receive love through five basic means: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch--and that people tend to give love in the way the wish to receive it.  Therefore, if we observe the way a person expresses love and then show them love in that way they will understand our hearts and feel loved.  Sounds pretty simple, right?

Ah, but people are not only complex beings, we are busy.  I don't know many people who ever take the time to observe their loved ones and then try to respond to them in the way they want to be loved.  The key in Observe is Serve.  The kind of person who goes to all this trouble is one who is not only committed to loving others but serving them, and let's face it, we live in a world where most people are only interested in loving and serving themselves.

We crave stories of devotion and one person sacrificing for another because, so few people are devoted, so few people sacrifice.  Everyone seems to be in it to be loved and get as much as they can from each other before tossing them aside to move on to the next person, friend, or lover.  Experience it enough times and love seems like an impossible fairytale, but it isn't.

Listen when the people you love are talking, what do they complain about?  Does your husband hate mowing the lawn and he's had a particularly hard week?  Do it for him before he gets home and say, "just because I love you and I know this week has been tough."  Do you have a child that loves something that you don't like say, musicals?  Get tickets for two and take your kiddo to a performance of one of the great musicals and do your very best to enjoy it or at least take enjoyment from how much they're loving it. 

Whatever it is, whoever it is, if they matter to you take the time for them.  See what they like, what they need and give it as an act of service and love expecting nothing in return.  It's worth it.  Trim your schedule, and take the time to observe and serve.  You only get this one life, this one tiny moment in time with these special wonderful people, make it count.  

Shopping Info:  1950s Red Selma Dress from Unique Vintage, Coat from Forever 21, Hat from Amazon, Heels from ModCloth