If you look up the meaning of love, it is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection.

But what you do with that intense feeling of deep affection is what really shows love, at least in my humble opinion.

Saying you love someone is easy. Showing that love is another story.

My father’s love language is not of flattery (words), but he loved loudly. He showed it in everything that he said and did (or not) during his lifetime.

It’s the kind of love that you can see from the way he took care of us, the way he treated, took care of, and spoke to our mother, from the meals that he cooked for us, and to every sacrifice he made to give all of us a better life. For him, Mang means the world. This was Dy’s love language.

From my previous post, I talked about Gwan-sik’s love for Ae-sun and his children.

Gwan-sik, just like my father, is not a man of flattery. He is not into words, but he loved deep and loud, and it shows in everything he did for his family. That’s his love language.

Each one of us expresses our love differently. For others, they’re good with words of flattery. And there are others whose love language is through their actions. And there are some who have none at all.

If you’re to ask me what love language I would like to have?

It would be my father’s and Gwan-sik’s love language. Theirs is the kind of love that speaks volumes in a quiet, gentle, respectful, and in the most affectionate ways. It’s silent, simple, and yet loud. Who wouldn’t want that kind of love language?

Ae-sun, just like our mother, makes everything that Gwan-sik and my father provided multiply. Whatever the men lack, they fill. Whatever they could give, they make do. They’re their wisdom, their strength, and their dreamers, when needed. That’s their love language.

There is a character in When Life Gives You Tangerines that is not being talked about as much, like Ae-sun. She is Yeong-ran. She shows her strength and love language in a lot of different ways than Ae-sun. Yeong-ran is a representation of a lot of us. Her love language is that of sacrificing, enduring, and being there but not seen and appreciated. It’s a love language that most people would think of as weak. This is her love language for her family.

Yeong-ran endured everything that she could until she couldn’t. She left. Started a new life, and pursued her dreams. This is her love language for herself.

Love is only beautiful when it’s done and given with the truest love and intentions. It is not a one-time thing. It is not done because it was given. You love not because you want it back.

Love language is love in itself. It is that intense feeling that shows in your affection.

Whatever your love language is, don’t forget to be like Yeong-ran. It’s perfectly okay to give that love language to yourself. You deserve it just like everyone else.

Until next time,