Healing Art Touch: Touch Me Here, Do Not Touch Me There

Healing Art Touch: Touch Me Here, Do Not Touch Me There


Touch is connecting

Touch is bonding. It is healing and communicative

Even newborns can relate to it

Touch is an essential form of human communication

We touch to support and comfort

We poke; we nudge; we hug; we grip elbows

We tap knees and pat others' back

We fling our arms around others

We give bear hugs


Friends, acquaintances, and colleagues giggle, dole out hugs

Give shoulder rubs and high fives

"Keep your hands to yourselves" cry the corporate lawyers and HR managers.

It is just a reminder of what the kindergarten teacher taught years ago

When is touching appropriate in our world these days?

When is it a friendly sign of affection at school, church or at the workplace?

HR managers cringe it may interpreted as a sexual come on.

Yet, the psychologist agrees touch is a great way to express empathy, sympathy.

We embrace those who are grieving the loss of their loved ones

We back slap a player on the gridiron and baseball field

Keep your hands off; keep them to yourself!

In politics and at the workplace, keep your hands off of pretty interns,

pregnant women and your boss

How long will it take you to understand and appreciate all the huggings

going on in the next cubicle? How long will it take you to fall for

all the arm pattings, shoulder squeezing and stroking going on around us?

Are you petrified yet? Then just remain frozen by inaction.

Our actions reverberate and touch others whether we want it or not

We are interdependent in this global village