Beyond the Wrapping Paper: Showing Love in Every Language
As the lights go up and calendars start to fill, the pressure to find that perfect gift can begin to weigh heavy on our shoulders. I know I personally have spent hours combing through the internet, clothing racks, and toy bins searching for just the right sentiment to show the gravity of my love to those around me, and oftentimes I find myself holding that present and thinking, “does this really show my love?” “Will my mom know how much she has impacted me through this new sweater?” “Can my friend see the underlying message through this hand-picked book?” All of these questions start to add to the looming pressure of finding the perfect gift.
So, why do we even give gifts around the holidays! If all they do is provide stress, pressure, financial responsibilities, and panic, why do it at all? I’m sure a few of you have already answered this daunting question—it’s because we love our people! The holidays are a beautiful and purposeful time to show those around us how much we love them.
This idea poses an interesting question: can love be shown beyond the wrapping paper? The simple answer, YES! While the holidays highlight one of the five love languages of gift-giving, there are still four other ways that we can show love.
Ways to Show Love with the Five Love Languages
1. Gifts
Birthday presents. Holiday gifts. Anniversary celebrations. Purchasing something new for family members and friends is a beautiful way to showcase your love for them. Especially if you know that your little one has been absolutely drooling over the newest video game or makeup product. The ability to provide gifts is a way to show a token of our love. Gifts can be monetary, but they can also be experience-based or something handmade if the holidays tend to produce additional financial stress.
2. Quality Time
Sitting by a campfire. Baking cookies. Watching movies. Eating around the dinner table. Did you know that you are showing love just by doing these “little” moments of quality time? For some, quality time is their love language, and sitting, cozied up by the fire, watching reruns helps them feel loved and cherished. Time is precious! Holidays provide each one of us with an opportunity to gift our time to those we love, especially if it is their love language.
3. Words of Affirmation
“I love you.” Three common words strung together. For those who have words of affirmation as their love language, these three words hold more meaning than anything else in the world. Someone in your life who loves compliments or verbal acknowledgements would appreciate the gift of a handwritten note or a “12 Days of Appreciation” countdown. These words can become keepsakes for the people in your life who value words of affirmation.
4. Physical Touch
Hugs by the front door. Snuggling up on the couch. Holding hands during a light show. Physical touch is a love language that gravitates towards small movements. The moments that often go unnoticed. This holiday season, you can gift a ‘snuggle session’ to your little one who seems to always find their way into your bed or a ‘massage’ to your partner who loves holding your hand in the car. Providing that physical warmth to those in your life with this love language will help foster emotional warmth.
5. Acts of Service
Prepping breakfast. Taking out the trash. Starting a pot of coffee. Simple everyday tasks that we all do. When these simple tasks are done for someone who has acts of service as their love language, it feels like a breath of fresh air. Maybe this gift looks like a get-out-of-a-chore-free card for your partner, who hates folding laundry. This love language is especially powerful for kids who want to gift their parents something meaningful. Imagine, you open a present this holiday season, and it’s your teenager saying they are going to do the dishes for a week!
Whether you gift time, words, touch, service, or a thoughtful token, the most meaningful holiday present is the feeling of being understood. Wishing you a season full of presence, warmth, and love that can go beyond wrapping paper. Happy Holidays!