Touch

Touch is a fun sense. Well, they're all fun, aren't they? Like sound, taste, and smell that I've written about already, touch can trigger emotions and internal change. I guess that's why God gave us these wonderful senses. So we could interact with the physical world around us and have experiences that change us spiritually. Everything we come in contact with has the ability to move us closer to the Divine.
As infants we need to be held and swaddled. It develops the feeling of safety and protection needed to thrive. The deep connection between a baby and his parents is undoubtedly linked to the physical contact shared in those early years. A mother's hug is a magical healer and a father's embrace brings simple security. Expressing love in a physical way is so important when raising young children, although each individual child may seek that in a different way. My oldest daughter loves a hug--as often and as long as I can give her. My youngest daughter is a cuddler--she wants to climb up on my lap and crawl all over me. My son is more subdued--he's a hand-holder and likes to press his cheek to mine.
There are times when we just crave the touch of someone we love. That first embrace after being apart for a while is like sunshine. There is obviously a very sensuous aspect to touch as well. The right touch at the right time can raise your body temperature and send off sparks in all sorts of nerve endings. Awesome!
The sense of touch is what you use when you "feel" something--interesting that feeling and touching mean the same thing because our feelings--our emotions--can be so effected by our sense of touch. It's the most intimate of the five senses. Having another human touch your human body gives our spiritual selves a connection to another spiritual being here on Earth.
Petting a cat lowers blood pressure. Getting a massage releases toxins from the body. A tight hug calms a frantic child. A tickle results in uncontrollable laughter. A high-five bonds two people in celebration.
Think about what you communicate to someone when using your sense of touch. A firm handshake, a hand on an arm during a difficult conversation, a brush of the cheek when saying goodnight. Your touch can make another person feel comforted, special, loved, and heard. And we need to be receptive to other people doing this for us as well. It's so easy to breeze by one another in our harried lives and not make those connections. Let's strive in the New Year to slow down and hold hands more often, pat more shoulders, slow dance in the kitchen, and thumb wrestle with your favorite little person.

peace, love, and HUGS...