Love Languages are a wonderful way to interact with everyone in our life, not just our romantic partners.
Let us take a look at the love languages and how they can apply to various friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers to whom you would like to extend some love this season. We will do this by way of the example of offering someone a spa day.
Typically, lovers talk about the five love languages. These are five ways that people like to give and receive love:
- Words of affirmation
- Quality time
- Physical touch
- Acts of service
- Receiving gifts
Let’s take them in reverse order:
Receiving gifts
Perhaps you are still writing thank you notes for holiday gifts. Or you made a gratitude list at Thanksgiving. Think of all the people who have contributed something to you tangibly this year. Your neighbor told you to keep the tool you borrowed. Your sister noticed you kept losing your glasses and got you a strap for them. Often, people like to receive love in the same way they express love. Chances are that your benefactor would enjoy getting a gift from you, like a gift card to a spa day.
To make the spa day gift a little more tangible, instead of putting the gift certificate in a card (or email), put it in a plant pot with their favorite flower or ready-to-plant herb (if they enjoy cooking) another idea is putting it in a coffee cup or an meaningful book.
Acts of service
Then, there are all the people on that gratitude list for intangible reasons. Now, technically, is it cheating if we outsource the act of service we are offering? I, for one, would not turn down a free spa day! But there are also little thoughtful ways to add service to the spa day. Drive them if it’s out of town, and make reservations for a local lunch before or after. You can offer to petsit or babysit for them so that they can leave all their responsibilities behind for the day.
Physical touch
Some people find it hard to receive touch. There are nice little ways to ease a reluctant friend or an aunt who is unsure about what to expect into enjoying a spa day. Go at a quiet time. Go with them. Show them photos and read reviews about the spa you are gifting them. Personalize it. Show or tell them what each treatment involves and let them pick which ones they want to try. Emphasize that if they don’t like something, they can stop it at any time.
Quality time
Of course, you can go with your lover, or bestie, and share a spa day together. You can also bring other people together – your teenage sister and grandma, your parents who never seem to get time alone, your work group (but no shop talk) for the best team building ever!
Words of affirmation
Whoever you take – or send – on a spa day, tell them why you want them to have an amazing spa day. Tell them specifically what they offer you, what you appreciate about them, what you wish for them.
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