There are many meanings attached to the word “love.” Psychologist Robert Sternberg’s triangular theory of love describes passionate love, intimate love, and committed love. M. Scott Peck defined love as “the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s growth” in his bestselling book The Road Less Traveled.

There’s an informal theory of love that’s captured in the pink and red hearts and roses of Valentine’s Day, with an emphasis on flowers and feelings. Our ideas about love often focus on emotions: Do I really love her? Does he love me? Will we always feel this close? These questions can be hard to answer with certainty because feelings are tough to pin down.

And then there are those moments that remove all doubt, when you encounter love and you know exactly what it is. For those that have witnessed or experienced love, it’s typically the verbs that stand out more than the feelings. Action is a powerful way to communicate love for another person and it often doesn’t take much to let someone know they are loved.

As an example, Fred and Wilma Flintstone, from the classic animated series “The Flintstones,” show their love for each other through various ways that reflect both the comedic nature of the show and the enduring qualities of a strong, loving relationship. Here are some key ways they demonstrate their love:

  1. Support and Forgiveness: Despite Fred’s often misguided schemes or temper tantrums, Wilma consistently shows patience and forgiveness. She supports him through thick and thin, understanding his intentions even when they lead to chaos.
  2. Affection and Attention: Fred and Wilma frequently share moments of affection. Whether it’s a kiss, a caring gesture, or simply spending quality time together, they regularly demonstrate their care for each other.
  3. Teamwork in Parenting: Their relationship extends to their roles as parents to Pebbles. They work together to provide a loving and secure environment for their daughter, showing a united front in her upbringing.
  4. Communication: Throughout the series, they face various challenges that require honest and open communication. The way they handle conflicts, often resolving them by the end of each episode, highlights their strong communication and mutual respect.
  5. Humor: A key aspect of their relationship is the ability to laugh together. The lighthearted tone of the show often sees them finding humor in their daily lives, which keeps their relationship vibrant and resilient.
  6. Mutual Respect: Despite the era’s typical gender roles depicted in the show, Fred and Wilma often display a mutual respect for each other’s opinions and abilities, showing a progressive aspect of their relationship.

Their love is depicted as genuine and strong, serving as the foundation of the Flintstone family’s adventures and misadventures in the town of Bedrock.

You probably can think of times in your own life when someone showed you that you were loved in a way that was impossible to doubt, and when you did the same for another person. As many of these examples show, expressing love doesn’t require a lot of money or a grand act of self-sacrifice. It’s often apparent in the simplest acts when awareness meets care.

How might you show someone you care about what it means to be loved?