The other day, I was having a conversation about love languages with a few friends. We discussed how there is a difference between the language in which you show love and the language in which you receive it.

First of all, in case you didn't know, there are five love languages:

1. Acts of service
2. Gifts
3. Words of affirmation
4. Quality time
5. Physical touch.

Most people identify very strongly with two or three and do not resonate as much with the remaining ways in which we express love.

My friends and I talked about which languages we "speak" the strongest. One of my friends argued that the ways that you show love should be the same ways that you wish to receive it.

Another friend argued that the way you feel the most loved is innate, while the way that you express your love (should) vary depending on the person whom you are showing love to.

This was an interesting thought to me because it brought up the question: is the way in which I show love a natural process, or does it change depending on the person?

I thought a lot about this, and came to this conclusion: the most successful relationships, romantic or not, are comprised of two people who listen to the language of the other, and make an effort to speak the other's language.

For example, my top love language is receiving gifts. So it's easy for me to get people gifts; I love it. I do it frequently because it's how I like to tell people I appreciate them. However, my mom is not the same. Her biggest love language is quality time. For me, quality time is my least important language. Therefore, it is not my first instinct to show love in this way. My mom and I have a great relationship, and I think that a huge contribution to this success is the way that we try to speak each other's love language. Just last week, my mom sent me a package. When I am home from college, I spend time playing games with my mom a lot, or drinking coffee, or just hanging out. Of course, this is not much of a sacrifice for me - my mom is pretty cool. The point is, in trying to make the other feel loved, we are happy and have a good relationship.

Love languages are so important in relationships. But the lesson here, kids, is that you are most happy when you are trying to make others happy.