Page 195 - The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts

Brent was in my office, stone-faced and unfeeling. He had
come not by his own initiative, but at my request. A week
earlier his wife, Becky, had been sitting in the same chair,
weeping uncontrollably. Between her outbursts of tears, she
managed to verbalize that Brent had told her that he no
longer loved her and that he was leaving. She was
devastated.
When she regained her composure she said, “We
have both worked so hard the last two or three years. I
knew that we were not spending as much time together as
we used to, but I thought we were working for a common
goal. I cannot believe what he is saying. He has always
been such a kind and caring person. He is such a good
father to our children.” She continued, “How could he do this
to us?”
I listened as she described their twelve years of
marriage. It was a story I had heard many times before.
They had an exciting courtship, got married at the height of
the “in love experience,” had the typical adjustments in the
early days of marriage, and pursued the American dream.
In due time, they came down off the emotional high of the
“in love experience” but did not learn to speak each other’s
love language sufficiently. She had lived with a love tank
only half full for the last several years, but she had received
enough expressions of love to make her think that
everything was OK. However, his love tank was empty.
I told Becky that I would see if Brent would talk with me.