Love Languages Week Continues...
Today..Physical Touch!
Let's get it out of the way. Sex is a very important part of a romantic relationship between a man and a woman who are married. Comment at the bottom... go for it... I realise this is the most controversial thing I have ever said on the internet. Now you know how mild I really am!
Moving On!
I am not going to talk about sex. I am going to talk about the need humans have to experience physical contact with other humans. It has been proven that premature babies benefit from massages administered several times a day. Mental health patients are encouraged to have physical interaction with pets and humans on a daily basis in order to increase their endorphin levels. Patients experiencing high levels of pain often find massage can be more helpful than prescription medication. When hurt or sad we often reach out for human contact. It is a natural impulse to hug or touch someone when wanting to communicate love.
Something else that has to be got out of the way! Some children are not hugged or don't experience an abundance of touch from others. Some people are physically abused and touch becomes something that is feared rather than desired. This is truly sad. This is also the reason that we need to be careful with this particular love language. We need to rely more heavily on other love languages first and develop a trusting relationship. This is especially important when adults develop relationships with children that are not their own.
Moving on again!
If your relationship is stable and there is trust involved touch can add an extra level of communication to the love. A pat on the back, tousle of the hair, hug, hand squeeze or high five can show love without going over the top. These also need to be well timed. I think it probably bugs the BFF when I hug her while she is trying to cook dinner (I still do it, cos it's funny). We have a rule that hugging while one of us is standing and the other is sitting is just WRONG! (major flashing danger dude)
Consider if the person needs to be hugged before you maul them. Be appropriate. When in doubt, go for the bony bits!
Bony bits: squeeze the shoulder, pat on the head, hand shake or high five.
