RAF ALCONBURY, England -- Soft romantic music played in the background and military couples shared a meal by candlelight, while learning how to speak the language of love.
The 423rd Air Base Group Airman and Family Readiness Center partnered with the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) and the chapel staff to host Bella Notte, a complimentary romantic Italian dinner, and the Five Love Languages course, The course was offered for families with members with special needs or those recently returned from deployment. Free childcare was provided by the Child Development Center and Youth Center.
“The EFMP Program gets funding every year that we can put on events like this for families,” said Sharon Noones, EFMP family support coordinator. “With the families I work with, having a family member with a special need can sometimes take its toll on a marriage or a partnership. Hoping through what couples learn tonight, that they can incorporate that into when they go through those difficult times.”
Chaplain Capt. Steven Davis, 501st Combat Support Wing, led the couples through the course. Each person took a test to learn about their love language and learned about how to best communicate with and care for their partner.
“Love is important to everybody,” said Davis. “It’s a primary emotional need that we have. Oftentimes, we don’t know how to ask for love. So, we find that our needs for love aren’t being met in the way that they should be met that is healthy for us. So, helping to give people that language to ask to receive it is important. Love is not something that is limited to a relationship. Everyone has a need for love, even in a work environment, even with their peers. We are all looking for value and meaning. When we can find healthy ways to express love for others in the work center, it adds value and meaning to their life, and they feel a part of something bigger than themselves and that only motivates them to want to reciprocate and to be better.”
Couples left the event smiling and talking about their newly discovered love languages.
“I had an idea of what my love language was, but it reaffirmed that,” said Master Sgt. Robert Monahan, 423rd Communications Squadron SEO flight chief. “It opened me up to some other key areas by reaffirming my secondary. And to learn what her love language was.”
“I learned a lot about words of affirmation and trying to figure out what my love language was,” said his spouse, Ashlyn. “I can show him his love language, and he can show me mine. I really liked it! Chaplain Davis was amazing. He put it all together and it was perfect. It was a good time.”