Me and You. True Love. Be Mine.
People have been giving candy hearts with little messages on them for Valentine’s Day for over 100 years. But most likely not this year. A new company purchased the rights to the sweets but announced they would not have enough time to make them for this Valentine’s Day.1
For the first time in over a century, everyone will have to celebrate Valentine’s without the day’s most popular candy.2
A crisis? Not really. When I saw the news circulating on the internet, it got me pondering about something called The Five Love Languages. You see, there’s a theory that every person expresses and experiences love in different “languages”. To put it simply, each of us has our own preferred way of receiving love from others.
For example, some people feel the most loved when they hear words of gratitude and affirmation.
You inspire me.
I love you.
Thank you.
Others feel the most loved when they receive acts of service.
Breakfast in bed.
Folding the laundry.
Watching the kids so he/she can sleep in.
Some feel most loved when they receive gifts.
That new book they’ve been wanting to read.
Flowers.
Their favorite chocolate.
Others simply want to spend quality time with their spouse or partner.
Conversation.
Date night!
A weekend away at a B&B.
For the rest, there’s no stronger sign of love than physical touch.
A passionate kiss.
A long hug.
A tender massage.
First proposed in 1995 by author Gary Chapman, the theory has inspired many people to practice expressing love for their partner in the way that means the most to them. But here’s the amazing thing. Whichever love language you or your significant other prefers, they all have something in common: They are all so easy to speak!
That’s the thing about true love: It doesn’t take much to express it!
How difficult is it to tell someone you love them every day?
How much time does it take to do the dishes?
How much effort does it require to spend an intimate evening with the person who means more to you than anyone else?
The answer: Not difficult/Not much time/Not much effort at all.
Most of the time, we make a big deal about the pageantry and traditions of Valentine’s Day, when really, the day is simply an opportunity. An opportunity to do something, give something, or say something in a way that means the most to the person who matters the most.
And that’s why Valentine’s Day doesn’t need candy hearts. Because, in the end: Candy hearts take months to make, but connecting hearts takes only seconds or minutes.
On behalf of everyone at Research Financial Strategies, I wish you and yours a lovely Valentine’s Day!
1 “America’s favorite Valentine’s Day candy is unavailable this year,” CNBC, January 23, 2019. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/23/americas-favorite-valentines-day-candy-is-unavailable-this-year.html
2 “Most Popular Valentine’s Candy by State,” CandyStore.com, January 17, 2019. https://www.candystore.com/blog/holidays/valentines-candy-popular-states/
3 “The Five Love Languages,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Love_Languages