Saturday, March 20, 2021

Love languages

At noon today, my husband and I walked across the courtyard to the health center, found no line ahead of us, and were whisked right in to get our second Moderna shots. Afterward, we sat chatting with the nurse and two women who came after us for the required fifteen minutes, and were back home not half an hour later. The nurse did tell us that Moderna has proposed a booster shot to impart surer immunity against the more troubling variants. It is already being studied by the NIH. The other question, of course, is how long will the immunity that develops from the two-shot series last? Three months? A year? This is a rather significant question. 

Our son and his fiancĂ©e spent yesterday afternoon with us, and it was lovely. It's just so easy with them. Our oven has stopped working, which isn't surprising after twenty years, so our son went with his dad to purchase a new stove so he could apply his first responder discount on our behalf. I told him he's like his father, that his love language is acts of service. I know that, he said. He and his love had taken the test, and that was his result. Hers was quality time. I think mine might be words of affirmation, courtesy of my gently affirming mother, with my secondary love language being acts of service, because that is how I saw my dad show love all his life. If I have this right, your love language is how you understood (or yearned for) love to be given and received when you were a child. If that is indeed the case, it's not surprising that our son should mimic his dad's way of showing love, while our daughter, I suspect, mimics mine. 

The five love languages are: 1) words of affirmation; 2) acts of service; 3) quality time; 3) giving and receiving gifts; and 5) physical touch. I should caution that all this is off the top of my head so there's a chance I might be getting some of it wrong. If you're interested, the fully correct info is a google search away, and the quiz is here. In any case we had a love language fest here yesterday, mixing quality time, acts of service, and words of affirmation with my man's delicious corn and tomato chowder, lively storytelling, and simple soul-restoring joy. It was, all told, a very fine day.

13 comments:

  1. I've never heard of love language, and I love the idea of it. It makes me think about the language I grew up with, and I believe I lean towards words of affirmation. So interesting to look back and remember the words from so long ago.
    Glad you got your second shots. Yay!! I get mine on April 2nd. I've been reading about the possibility of needing boosters. Quite likely I think.
    Sounds like a lovely time with your family.

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  2. Your family just warms my heart. Lovely flowers.

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  3. I think we may end up with at least a once a year immunization program. Glad the medicos are thinking boosters as these variants swirl around us. In my news, Ontario is now taking the 75 to 80 cohort in, so tomorrow I expect to be on the computer to book in and using language not of love.

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  4. I show love by doing but I feel love by being touched. I'm so glad you two got your vaccination. I'm still waiting. My hubby got his lask week which I'm thankful for. He's a heavy smoker and his lungs are shot so covid would probably kill him.

    So glad you got to see your son and future daughter in law. A very good day.

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  5. I'm glad you had such a wonderful day. this whole love language thing is new to me also. I read through your list of five and I don't recognise any of those as coming from my parents. so I wonder what mine is? affection maybe. neither of my parents were affectionate by nature and I craved it as a child. so I grew into a very affectionate parent. of course the virus has put the skids on that. gifts maybe but I had to grow out of that one as my husband's raising did not include gifts and so he never thought of giving them. just wasn't part of his psyche. he did however sudsume any ambition of his own to support and help me in my art, joining me in making it happen.

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  6. I have no idea what my love language is. Isn't that pathetic? LOL! I guess I should take the test! Glad you got your second shot. It sounds like the states is really staying on top of this vaccination game now that there's new leadership in the White House!

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  7. Yes. "Soul-restoring joy." It is occurring to me that your family has several generations that are "fluent in love languages." Until today I would not have had the words to describe all that I've witnessed in your photos and what you have written about your family, near and far.

    Love seeing the tulips in the light from your window!

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  8. The five love languages is news to me but a welcome new concept.

    My in-laws had a tradition that the real true gifts were not to be purchased but elaborate surprises, like visits, repairs, food, sing-songs and funny poems incl. performing these and so on.
    There was little money available when they were young.

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  9. I am now booked and it only took 45 minutes. Language revision coming up.

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  10. Lovely post and thanks for the link. I'm glad you all had a wonderful time.

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  11. Acts of service was my highest score point as well.

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  12. This all sounds amazing -- how was your reaction to the second Moderna shot? Mine is on April 7th, and I feel sooooooooo nervous.

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  13. I took the test and I got "Quality Time" and that is really me. I love spending time with those that I love and can be quiet possessive about it lol. I don't mean that I get all bent out of shape if someone cancels lunch but if we are meeting up for a couple of days and the person I love spends all of his or her time looking at their phone or taking one call after another then yes that is when I get the feeling that they don't really want to be with me and I question why would they even schedule a visit if they are not into it.
    I hope that your doing well and congratulations on the new stove and spending time with your son and his fiancé. It is always a nice get together when our children are involved!

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