Henrietta snuggles her rabbit….
If you’ve been reading me for a while, you might know I’m not a natural toucher. I can’t pinpoint what fragments led me to be this way….
Midwesterner of German descent?
Not a lot of touch while growing up?
I don’t know….
With an envious eye, I watch my Italian friend with her family—all greetings and partings with a hug.
Mara loved to be touched.
Henrietta…not so much…but I think my reaching hands are starting to grow on her!
Is it a matter of trust?
Anyhow…as I have opened to people and experience, I find myself reaching out to touch people.
It’s weird
and out of character,
and I like it. :)
A hand on an arm,
fingers grazing a shoulder blade,
gasp! hugging people I barely know!
My nineteen year old has learned it’s best to just stand still and let me hug him, which I try to do every day now.
Un-teaching what I taught?
I’m seeing all kinds of predictions about how the world is going to change.
No door handles, no cashiers, touchless pay systems, good-bye handshakes….
And I say…
No!
I’ve just embraced the embrace!
We are social animals.
Are we going to allow fear to change that?
Dogs and touch: some dogs we've known have been touchers; they need to be in contact with their people, whether it's snuggling next to them, or leaning into them while standing, or laying a head on a sitting leg for scritches. Other dogs felt happy just knowing their people were near, sometimes in the same room (where a watchful eye could prevent FOMO) or just the same house. And some cats are also touchers; head butts and lap snuggles and "you may scritch me now — BEHIND THE EARS, doofus!" And puppies and kittens can never seem to get enough!
Gail, I think we'll always need touch, some of us more than others. Like Jack, Michael and I are hand-holders. One of my sons is a hugger, the other tolerates it from me. My heart breaks for people who need touch right now, but have to quarantine.