Touche?

Did you know that the skin is the largest organ of the body?

I think women and men feel touch very differently.

In most Asian families, perhaps particularly, the Chinese families, physical affection is seldom shown. (I'm not sure about the West.) It's like we hug and cuddle a child, then there's some kind of expiry date when they reach like 9 years and there's no longer that loving touch.

Pastor John Burns once said that most fathers stopped hugging their daughters once they grew breasts. But it's at that point of time when they need the reassuring touch of the father figure.

It's true you know.

The only one I can hug in my family is my younger brother. He's 11 years younger, and I am very affectionate to him. For my case, I'm really moved by touch. And it's so sad that the only person I can be physically touch in my family is my younger brother. Not that my parents are not okay with me hugging them.. I just can't bring myself too 'cos it's so long that it has become strange. I think ditto for them. Now, my younger brother has become a young man so he thinks hugs are really embarassing and blocks it off. Sigh..


There was once this colleague who passed by me whilst I was on the computer, and it was at a time when I was feeling a little down. He put his hand on my shoulder and gently gripped it and said "hi". But I was touched (pun not intended) by his gesture. It conveyed more than a mere "hi" to me. It was "I'm concerned" "how are you" "are you okay?" "I'm here" "you can look for me if you need someone to talk to".


Sometimes in church, we're can be too aware about touching the opposite sex. There are some types of touching that are a definite no-no, like kissing and hand on waist and hugging. It seems to me, that the only type of touch that is allowed is the handshake. Eh, quite narrow? Because a touch can convey so much more meaning than mere words. Then again, perhaps this is the reason why physical contact between the sexes are restricted.


But there are other types of touching that are not physical.

The secondary level of touching? With the eyes. With a smile. With a gesture. It's called body language. :) And it's still a part of communication. In fact a huge part. Being connected to a person is only 7% verbal (so some study has shown).

Why do I say this is non-physical touching? Because be it verbal or bodily language, the meaning we convey will either touch a person's mind or his heart. Somehow or other, people, by just BEING, affect other people.