The sense of touch is with me all the time -- right there in the tips of my fingers. But how often do I pause to accept it, to actually feel what I am touching? Every day, fabric and thread flow through my fingers and I hardly think about it. Every day I feel the warmth of my tea cup, the softness of my pajamas, the heaviness of a blanket at night - without thought.
One touch I never take for granted is the touch of another person's hand. Whether it is the other person taking my hand or me taking theirs -- that touch stays with me all day. It is a connection that I hope I never ever ignore.
Am I perhaps drawn to fiber arts because of the textures? Am I drawn outside to touch the grasses or the flowers because touching them makes me feel even more alive? Do I stroke a baby's cheek in honor of her/his life? Touch is a sense that I hope to think about more in the coming days.
"On the unconscious level, touch seems to impart a subliminal sense of caring and connection." - Leonard Mlodinow
Once again the 2 am Boogey man appears. In my case he isn't there to scare me but to flip the button on my brain so that all the gears and cogs and whatever else is in there are running at full speed --meanwhile my body says "go back to sleep"!
My thoughts wandered into the world of the five senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. Aren't they wonderful?! They basically help us survive in a world that isn't always very good for us. They also give the gift of all the joys our world has to offer. Without one or more or all of these senses our lives would be quite different.
Sounds like heavy thoughts for the middle of the night but you know me, the 'good' stuff usually outweighs the bad stuff. Please bear with me while I spend a little time, thought and words on these five gifts of life that we have been given... "Observe, record, tabulate, communicate. Use your five senses. Learn to see, learn to hear, learn to feel, learn to smell, and know that by practice alone you can become expert." - William Osler
