I recently read the 5 Love Languages book to understand how I show love. While I wasn’t surprised on my Love Language (receiving gifts), I couldn’t help but think about how it relates to what’s currently going on in the world. I think we’ve all realized that there are multiple ways to show support during this week. Some go to posting images and resources on Instagram and some remain silent to do their own self-reflection. 

There is no right or wrong way to react to what’s happened. Some can argue with that but just as we see how diverse we are on the surface, we’re equally diverse in the ways we deal with change and social impact. 

Here is how I associate each Love Language with support during the Black Lives Matter movement. 

_________

Words of Affirmation // You’re reposting every viral Instagram post to share with your community. It’s not a negative thing, this is how you show love during a social movement. If you want to be out there with protestors, but are hesitant due to spreading of Coronavirus, you’re looking for another way to help. Words of Affirmation is spreading awareness, resources, and showing our world what’s actually going on. 

Quality Time // You started off this week by calling and texting black friends to check in on them. You spend time on social media DM’ing black content creators and taking in the content that’s being shared. You’re calling your family to discuss what’s happening and you’re also spending time reading new books and watching new movies that are educating yourself on how to help. 

Receiving Gifts // This one can be difficult to relate to what’s happening right now, but we can reword to giving gifts instead. Are we donating to causes based around BLM or civil justice? Are we continuing to support our local food bank through the pandemic? This love language can go both ways. If we like to receive love in the form of gifts, we’re usually the ones giving gifts as well.

Acts of Service // You’re out there protesting with the masses. Showing up to show how much you care about what’s happening in our world right now. This may also translate into reaching out to friends, of any color, to ask what they need during this time. You want to help! 

Physical Touch // It’s hard to relate to this one right now since we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, but I also associate physical touch to showing up at protests. You want to support the black community as much as possible and being able to be present with them is important to you. 

I’ve also added some images for you to share with friends and family or save to self-reflect.