Because someone doesn’t love you in the way you want them to, doesn’t mean they don’t love you.
I had an experience recently that brought me back to a wonderful little book that I read years ago and still revisit from time to time. It’s called ‘The Five Love Languages’ and it is a simple primer on understanding the variety of ways we all give and receive love in the world.
The philosophy held in this little gem of a book states that we all have a primary and secondary love language. We often get hurt or have relationship problems when we either expect one language and get another, or just flat out don’t understand and value another’s language.
The five languages are these: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. These are all very different languages, and all equally valid.
If you are interested in learning more about yourself and those you love these teachings are worth exploring- it’s a quick read and an excellent way to understand our own disappointments in relationships, as well as how we can hurt others without intending to.