“Why do we have two arms?” I asked my six-year-old nephew,
“To hug.”
______________
We are always told to take two steps forward, never back – but when are we to take steps toward
each other?
We live in a time where we are all continuously connected, whether it is through our
computers or phones. Yet, despite the technology and social platforms that allow us to create
these meaningful relations, we could not be more apart.
We tend to underestimate the influence people have on each other and the power we have
that allows us to help those around us. I am sure you can think of people who have had an effect
on you, but can you think of people you have had an effect on? While it might be hard to
pinpoint, it is way easier if you recall each moment you have spent with a loved one. You do not
understand the power you have when you wipe your friend’s tears away, or when you
congratulate your cousin on their graduation with a hug. You do not understand the power of a
“good morning” text and “I am here”.
Truth be told, our hands are always reached out; caressing those in need of support and
cheering those who want to share their happiness, always and forever touching the lives of
others. Is it not truly amazing how we can bring a smile to people’s faces? A chuckle on their
tough days? Is it not wonderful to be able to make the people around you feel better?
And it goes the other way around: reaching out to someone to speak of your issues with
will help them speak of theirs when the time comes, and will help you feel less alone. However,
to reach out is to admit our need, pain, and longing for the presence of another, and it is not the
easiest to admit. So instead, we smile and claim that we are stronger than we truly are. We tell
ourselves these lies because it is easier to hide than to admit that we are actually in need of
others, that perhaps we are not as strong as wish to be on our own. And what was once a lie will
become an automatic reply:
“How are you?”
“I am fine.”
But you are not. And neither is the person sitting right next to you with a smile on their
face. And little do you both know how much you are in need of each other, yet too frightened to
reach out. This fright is what is holding us back from many joyous moments. Do not allow it to
control you; stand up to it and let yourself be seen, and assure your friends that they too are
worth being looked at.
Because we are meant to be touched. Whether it is mentally, physically, or
emotionally…we are meant to feel others. Why else would two hands fit together like a glove?

Wishing everyone lots of love and wings of warmth.💖