Tuning in to Touch

 Our year-old smooth-haired fox terrier, Harry, likes to snuggle on a lap when he is not tearing around getting into trouble.  I think he likes to feel his “assistants” are close by while he snoozes.  He revels in ear and nose massages, groaning in satisfaction.  The sense of touch is a key element of awareness in humans and other animals.  We usually can recognize living versus non-living immediately upon touching something, even when we cannot see, hear, smell or taste the subject.  Warmth and movement affirm the presence of life.

Being touched in a positive way has profound effects on humans and animals. For example cats purr, dogs groan, humans sense connection, reassurance and even love.  The laying on of hands is sometimes incorporated into spiritual healing practices, with amazingly successful results.  Sexual touching results in well-documented physical and emotional responses.

Some cultures promote cheek bussing, some favor handshakes to include a person in one’s personal circle.  I tend to be a “hugger,” and am perfectly comfortable hugging people I don’t know particularly well.  For me, a hug says something like “We’re on this planet together.  I’m glad you’re here.”  It is not a formal gesture, not a sexual gesture, not an affected gesture; it’s instinctive and it’s genuine.  If I don’t feel it at that moment, then no hug.

Children naturally seem to sense the importance of touch.  Little tots often express trust and friendship by snuggling up or holding hands.  Hugging someone special is one of a baby’s first demonstrations of affection.

There are always exceptions. A touch can be threatening to a person with a sensory disorder.  We have a grandson who has never responded to loving touches easily.  Sometimes he gives hugs that seem a little extreme and a little experimental, as if he’s trying to do something slightly unnatural and uncomfortable for him. Even so, he wants to be reassured that you want to hug him. Abused persons are also among those who may not respond positively to touch.

I believe we are least aware of the importance of our sense of touch. Touch is registered by the largest sensory organ in our body, the skin, and yet less is written or spoken about it than the other senses, and its effects are often overlooked. I plan to tune in to my touch experiences, and to celebrate the positive effects they have on my being.