Page 84 - The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts

have done it together. The children have left the nest, and
Bill and Betty Jo agree that these are their best years ever.
Bill has become an avid symphony fan, and Betty Jo has
made an unending list in her legal pad of things she
appreciates about Bill. He never tires of hearing them. He
has now started his own company and is near the top
again. His job is no longer a threat to Betty Jo. She is
excited about it and encourages him. She knows that she is
number one in his life. Her love tank is full, and if it begins to
get empty, she knows that a simple request on her part will
get her Bill’s undivided attention.

TOGETHERNESS

A central aspect of quality time is togetherness. I do
not mean proximity. Two people sitting in the same room
are in close proximity, but they are not necessarily together.
Togetherness has to do with focused attention. When a
father is sitting on the floor, rolling a ball to his two-year-old,
his attention is not focused on the ball but on his child. For
that brief moment, however long it lasts, they are together.
If, however, the father is talking on the phone while he rolls
the ball, his attention is diluted. Some husbands and wives
think they are spending time together when, in reality, they
are only living in close proximity. They are in the same
house at the same time, but they are not together. A
husband who is watching sports on television while he talks