臺北市新住民專區網站英文版

By So-Song Chang, Part-Time Assistant Professor, National Open University

There is a bankbook, which is not for money saving but with love. The love you save more, then you will have more in it. Moreover, it’s interest-bearing that shows on the bankbook of love.

The “Queen of hats,” Fong Fei-fei (鳳飛飛) has a song called “More Than I CanSay” (愛你在心口難開), There is a sentence from lyric: Loving you is hard to say in my heart, do you know that I love you? The answer is that you don't necessarily know or have not idea at all; because love is to be spoken, made, and saved.

Showing love for your family with words of affirmation, encouragement, and praise, such as sincerely saying “you've worked hard”, “Thank you”, “You got this”, “I’m sorry”, or admiringly "Like," "Great", "It's beautiful", "Congratulations", so that family members can deliver and receive endless love for each other, this is the first expressions of love.

Family members can focus on having a good time every day, sharing their inner feelings and thoughts with each other, responses as well as support will be given appropriately. Also. they can do a favorite thing together, such as reading, drawing, singing, tidying up the room or exercising, etc. Let the family feel intimacy and love for each other, which is the second display of love.

Sending thoughtful gifts to family members to express deep love. If you can observe family members’ needs and preferences carefully, for example, family members like to put them on their bodies, put them on the table, put them on the bedside, and hang them in the room. You can choose and send gifts which make your family like and touched, so that your family can feel the thoughtful gifts and symbols of love. This is the third expression of love.

Doing things for the family with sincerity, without asking for anything in return, such as doing laundry, checking the car safety, providing health information, and understanding the needs of the family, etc., so that the family feels cared, loved, and the message of "It’s good for the family", which is the fourth expression of love.

Using close and appropriate contacts to convey friendliness and deep love to family members, such as holding hands, patting the back, supporting the waist, and even hugging each other lightly, so that family members feel close and without words. These behaviors make family members feel connected and love, which the fifth expression of love.

Wow! The bankbook of love consists of "Words of Affirmation", "Sweet Moments", "Thoughtful Gifts", "Acts of Service" and "Intimacy of Body" and other gold coins full of love. Love is to be said, made and shown, and there is a bankbook, and the good habit of saving every day will continue to earn. The deposit of love will make the family happy, and the deposit of love has the effect of adding points; if there is a conflict, it can be a small matter, and the conflict can be turned into sweetness. The pursuit of happiness is the goal of every family, and the bankbook of love is the guarantee of the pursuit of happiness.