Held

Can you remember the last time you were held?  Close your eyes.  Take a deep breath.  See if you can recall a time when you felt nurtured, maybe even cradled in love.  We’re social creatures and thrive on connection and touch.  We yearn to be hugged.  Don’t you think part of the ritual of shaking hands is about the exchange of energy between two people?

Being held implies a bond of some sort.  It’s a knowing you are seen.  As Father Greg Boyle from Homeboy Industries says, “The kids in the gangs are used to being watched, but not seen, and rarely cherished.”  The idea of connection on the physical/emotional level gives each of us an opportunity to exhale.  It gives us the freedom to express our uniqueness.

When I was in graduate school, working on my PhD, I had two people who challenged me in many ways.  I was like a toddler who didn’t want to be picked-up, squirming and working hard to be released from their grasp.  No matter how I hard I pushed trying to set myself free, they held me close in thought, encouragement, and love.  

I know what it feels like to be held and on a daily basis, I try and make others feel the same way.  

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