What language of love do YOU speak?

• I love you.
• Let me vacuum out your car.
• Here’s the necklace you’ve always wanted.
• Let’s sit by the fire and talk.
• Do you need a hug?

Gary Chapman lists five love languages:

• Words of Affirmation
• Acts of Service
• Receiving Gifts
• Quality Time
• Physical Touch

If you’re not sure which love language is yours, take the test:

https://www.5lovelanguages.com/.

Knowing someone else’s love language makes a difference in how we express our love to them.

We’ll know how to show love through helping someone, giving a gift, spending one-on-one time at a coffee shop, offering a back rub, and especially through a compliment. In February, Valentine cards can be found at Hallmark, but verbal valentines are also great any time of year.

Words of affirmation are even more special when the compliment has been passed on second-hand or anonymously. It’s as if positive gossip was stirred about the recipient.

“The other day, Carrie mentioned what a kind person you are,” —-involves a confirmation party of two.

“I heard about you! Someone said that your work in sales is outstanding”— creates mystery. The recipient imagines the positive buzz could be from anyone. And when speculating it could be anyone, it can be everyone.

In the children’s book “Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch,” a lonely old man who works in a shoelace factory receives a box of candy and a card saying, “Somebody loves you.”

As he tries to guess who is the anonymous giver, he reaches out to all he meets. His actions cause reactions and add new friends to his life.

What Mr. Hatch doesn’t know is that he mistakenly received the card; it wasn’t even meant for him.

Nevertheless, just thinking somebody loved him changed his life.

You can’t make a mistake by sharing genuine words of affirmation. But you can if you don’t take the opportunity.

After all, everybody needs to know, “Somebody loves you.”