I never thought about this much before I came home from the hospital after my back surgery.
Sherry and I are not big touchers. We hold hands from time to time (mainly to keep me upright, not so much for the romance of it all). We also hug each day, but it’s generally with dish towels in our hands or dogs squeezing between us. The shepherds are demanding our attention – we’re just letting each other know we’re still around.
But I tell you, with my pain level reaching eight or nine (on a scale from one to ten), Sherry grasped my hands gently for a few minutes or rubbed the nape of my neck over and over and I entered a gratifying space far above the hurt that had captured my consciousness.
I’m in favor of couples at all ages doing their fair share of sensual touching. It’s part of what makes the world go round. Now I know a new form of touching. It beats out all the pain medications in spades.