Dragging on the Valentine's Day theme of love, I wanted to talk about how to love.

Which is different for everyone and that's something we figure out at a young age. Or at least we think we figure out. I'm sure even now I don't get it all the way even after the copious amounts of advice my dad has given me and countless Buzzed quizzes I've taken to see how they really feel.

Here's a recap of the five love languages and what the sort of look like:

Words of Affirmation:

Using language to affirm your affection for other people

Acts of Service:

Dr. Gary Chapman uses the examples of "helping with chores, covering the bill, or packing his lunch" as some examples of acts of service

Receiving Gifts:

Giving or receiving gifts from someone you cherish

Quality Time:

Giving your person undivided attention (classical example- date night)

and finally,

Touch:

appropriate touch shows a lot of love for some people

I've always known these exist. Recently, my eyes have been opened to just how much these five can play a role in relationships. The best way to show someone you care about them is to find which language(s) they respond to best, and sometimes that can be a challenge. Maybe it's an emotional barrier that's up or maybe it's a distance barrier, either can create a lot of stress on both you and your partner and that's when you start to learn a lot about how to love and appreciate someone. You make adjustments because the only thing worse than knowing how to show affection is having your partner feel neglected. You work your way through all the love languages and you nit pick and what works and what doesn't until you get a rhythm. You learn a lot by caring for another person. You learn how to compromise efficiently because even though we were supposed to learn that at a young age, the circumstances are much more strenuous than who gets next turn on a swing. You learn to listen more, and to listen better. Without communication you miss key points your partner may be trying to signal to you. Wether it be straight forward or a hint, when you communicate efficiently you'll always get the general idea. You learn how to truly appreciate the small things, every second you spend with that person is a fond memory. Every good morning and good night add up to having a good day, day after day. Learning how to love and appreciate someone takes a lot of time but at the end of the day when you eventually meet that person, it'll all be worth while.