The Five Languages of Apology: A Book Review

Image: Amazon

Much like his other book, Gary Chapman's The Five Languages of Apology: How to Experience Healing in All Your Relationships is focused on having the best relationship you can. While I apply this and The Five Love Languages specifically to my relationship with my husband, the books are applicable to any and all relationships.

I think that this book is most effective if read and applied before marriage or even engagement. Discovering your spouse's and your own languages of apology can minimize the chance of misunderstandings in your relationship. Make sure you ask your spouse or significant other for their languages so you can practice apologizing to them in the language they are programmed with. 

My husband and I have the same top two languages of apology, so we didn't really have to adjust how we say sorry, but we found it helpful to see the examples of how to truly apologize to someone. Chapman has such an easy writing style and peppers the text with real examples that really open your eyes to apology. 

Quality Time on a Busy Weekend

My husband and I both have Quality Time as our secondary love languages. Basically that means in order to feel loved we really need to make sure we have enough time together. Weekends full of chores and activities tend to be more typical than relaxing days of enjoying each other's company. However, that doesn't mean we can't get in enough quality time together, we just have to make it productive:

How do you and your spouse include quality time in your lives? 

The 5 Love Languages - A Book Review

Image: Amazon

Before our marriage my husband and I both read The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman. I strongly recommend engaged or even dating couples to read this book. It helps you discover what love language you and your spouse have and how to communicate in these love languages. If you are already married I'd still recommend it! 

The chances of you and your spouse having the same love language aren't good. So learning to speak in his/her language is essential for them to understand how much you love them! Chapman is a marriage counselor and his experience in this area is obvious. I love the real-life stories he includes to illustrate the different love languages: 

• Quality Time
• Words of Affirmation
• Gifts
• Acts of Service
• Physical Touch

Even if you and your partner are good at expressing your love in a way that you each respond to, the book really does a good job of providing more ideas and ways to speak each love language. It's an easy read, well written, and practical. Good on all fronts : )