Friday, March 8, 2013

Today I love touch...Slice of Life 8 of 31



     I’ve known since 3:00 this morning what I was going to love today.  If you recall, I was waxing poetic over my love for sleep yesterday evening, and the lack thereof in my life these last few nights.  Teenagers, you know?  Well, at some point in the night last night, I stretched out, barely conscious, but ready to roll over and curl up as I described doing in yesterday’s post.  But, just as I curled up, the soles of my two bare feet just happened to line up with the soles of The Man’s two bare feet.  

Toe for toe…heel to heel. 

     In that briefly conscious moment, in that simple unplanned touch, every single muscle that I didn’t even realize had been tense before, suddenly let go of the tight hold they had on the day and relaxed.   I slipped right back into that sweet deep abyss, until it was a rightful and proper time to rise for the day.  

 However, just before I drifted off again, I thought to myself, “I love touch.”

      In this day of political correctness and “oh we must be careful not to offend anyone” attitudes, I truly wonder if we are forgetting this basic human need.  In our efforts not to be inside anyone’s “bubble”, and frankly, not to be thought of as someone who may show up on the eleven o’clock news, are we depriving ourselves and those around us of a requirement for survival?  I knew I had heard something years ago in my teaching career about humans needing a certain number of hugs a day for proper growth and development, but couldn’t remember the statistics.  Upon a tiny bit of research, I found this information about hugs.  I agree with the child interviewed by the author of the article…I think we all need way more than eight hugs a day!

This is a photo of My Ol' Man and his cousin Betty...big huggers, both of them, and both celebrating 8 decades plus.  We visited with Betty in Topeka at the beginning of last summer's epic Kansas adventure.  I can't imagine ending that visit with anything less than a big hug and I can't wait to return for another!

Today, I love touch. 

8 comments:

  1. today i opened and ate a dove square and it said on the wrapper "live well laugh often and love much." when i read you entry i relized we need to love alot.

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    1. Warrior...it's true. We do need to love a LOT. This world needs it! Thanks for sharing your chocolate!
      Trish

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  2. Hugs and touching ....and sweet sleep, these are so essential to our sense of well being, aren't they? My middle schoolers like to hug, and PC or not, I hug back.

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  3. I had to hop back and take a look at your post on sleep. I love sleep and hugs, too! Yesterday I was storing bear hugs from my son - enough to last 11 weeks until I see him again. Since we live in the 2 Washingtons, our visits aren't too frequent, but I do love those bear hugs.

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    1. Oh Ramona...the 2 Washingtons are very far apart...I hope you got a great storehouse full of bear hugs! As my son gets older, those bear hugs get stronger all the time...love love love!
      Thanks for sharing,
      Trish

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  4. Trish,
    Another beautiful post. I'm amazed at the way you find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

    Cathy

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  5. What a beautiful slice. I know I don't get enough hugs lately, and I miss them. Thank goodness for my kids or I'd never make it.

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