I once read a book by Gary Chapman called "The Five Love Languages". The 5 Love Languages was published in 1995, going in depth about the five ways that we express and receive love.

1. Words of Affirmation
2. Quality Time
3. Receiving Gifts
4. Acts of Service
5. Physical Touch

Many of us have a preference for one love language or the other, but more than one are applicable to you or your partner. Knowing these languages can help us improve our relationships, romantic or platonic, so we can express our love to those who prefer receiving it a certain way, vice versa.

The concept of the five love languages has been brought to my attention in the past but not to this extent. I mostly over looked them. This book honestly came into my life at the perfect time. I have been dating the same person since I was fourteen and now that we're in college, we spent a lot of our days growing up together; the most difficult yet rewarding thing I have ever experienced.

We have completely different love languages and it was really put to the test when we went to separate colleges located in different states. As a young couple who isn't married yet I believe it was difficult to figure that out. After he moved out of state to go to college, I quickly discovered that his love language was physical touch. He wasn't very happy whenever he was away from me, family, and his friends. It completely changed his attitude about life. He didn't get hugs and kisses everyday like usual. This was difficult for me too, as my love language was quality time. "Quality time" easily became face time dates and phone calls. Like the book mentions, we discover how to bring out the best in each other but how can you do that when its nearly impossible to complete your love language. After a year of long distance, he transferred to OU with me. As a couple we went from one extent to the other. After not seeing each other for months we went to seeing each other everyday. I believe this equally caused problems, testing our love yet again.

Kathryn & JakeHarlee Lynn Photography

The most important aspect of Gary Chapman's book was an individual trying to force their own love language on someone else. We must be willing to learn our spouse's love language. After understanding this book I realized why my relationship had been struggling so much. I wanted more quality time and more words of affirmation, but with little physical touch. I feel that men are more likely to want physical touch than women and this can easily cause problems. I have now learned to be more open to physical touch with the perfect example such as holding hands in the parking lot walking into the shopping mall.

The insightfulness of this book has changed the way I look at my future with him, if it can save a 30-year marriage from ending I believe it can benefit the future of my relationship and help to prosper a future marriage.