Crinkled Oranges

Saturday, February 5, 2011

I feel so much better when

the house is clean. 
Well, clean may be debatable.  But picked up anyway. 

I've been working on posters for Relief Society, so the workroom was covered with scraps of paper.  I made 12 dozen coconut cupcakes, so of course the kitchen was a disaster.  So tonight I got the house all picked up and put away, and Gary vacuumed.

 If Gary wants to earn brownie points with me, that's one of the nicest things he can do.  And he's made lots of brownie points in our marriage.

Not long ago, Gary and I took an abridged "love language" test that was in a magazine.   The author of the book, "The Five Love Languages," noticed that "everyone he had ever counseled had a 'love language,' a primary way of expressing and interpreting love. He also discovered that, for whatever reason, people are usually drawn to those who speak a different love language than their own."   

The five defined love languages are:
Words of Affirmation
Quality Time
Receiving Gifts
Acts of Service,
Physical Touch.

Gary's primary love language was "Quality Time."   I've always known that gifts were low on his priority list.  He always says the best gift I can give him is to not spend the money a gift.   I realized, though, that the love language he prefers is perhaps the hardest for me to give.  I tend to want to be multi-tasking or doing a project, which does not lend itself to giving quality one-on-one time.  So I've been trying to do better at that. 

The love language that meant the most to me was "Acts of Service."  So that is why I've gone off on this long and random discourse. Vacuuming, loading and emptying the dishwasher, sweeping, mopping, etc. . .  now that is love.  And Gary is very good at showing that kind of love.   Of course, a Chico's gift certificate and a nice compliment rate right up there, too :)

What love language is most meaningful to you? 


3 comments:

Angie Crompton Murphy said...

Annette-
I need to learn more about that. Ken and definitely have different "languages"- but I think mine will be more aligned with yours. Nothing makes me feel more loved than coming home to a clean house. Loved your last post too. My mouth waters just looking at those cupcakes. Express shipping to Bicknell?

Tiffany said...

I'll always remember Dad vacuuming the house on Saturday nights. . .I think it was Saturday? Or maybe just any night! I've always appreciated Dad's willingess to help out around the house. What a modern man! Justin knows there is no better way to my heart than an empty sink that I did not have anything to do with! We are lucky women. :)

Misty B. said...

So, I guess that's where I get it then...when I took the test I was bi-lingual: acts of service and quatlity time. Dan's always wished I was gifts so he could just buy me flowers to fill my love tank!!