The Importance of Touch

One of our new blogs, Holy Experience, has caught my fancy. Ann V. is a beautiful writer. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

As a father of three, I know the strange feeling you get when your children begin to pull away. The truth is, you are pulling away from them as well. The feet you used to kiss, well, you don't want to kiss them anymore. The bottom you wiped is now a private place. If you are the father of daughters, budding breasts make hugs and touching a little more delicate. But even though we pull away from each other, it is good to remember that we still need to touch our children. And they still need us as well. Ann V. reminded me of this in a recent post entitled, The Importance of Touch.

"I don’t remember when I stopped touching him.

Lanky legs, stretching back were signs for me…signs to distance and retreat. Signs of Caleb emerging as a man. And, who was I to touch the skin that clothes a future man?

Perhaps it was mere self-protection, withdrawing before he, inevitably, rejected his coddling mother? Or maybe it was where I came from: cuddling babies was appropriate; embracing boys was not." ...Click here to read more.

Holy Experience - Looking, listening, longing for God...in the hallowed experiences of a very ordinary life.