Growing up, I came from a very affectionate family. Hugs, kisses and I love yous were given freely and with much care and sincerity. In school, I never understood why others never touched each other much, why boys wrestled when they obviously wanted close contact. It just didnt make sense to me. As I grew up, I ended up ignoring most social norms involving physical contact. I gave hugs, I kissed cheeks, I told my friends I loved them. As a small child, I became a master of overcoming personal boundaries, a skill I wear with pride. My friends quickly cottoned on that they could not escape my brand of ecstatic, physical affection. My best friend, who I have known since second grade, had resigned herself to her job as my pillow. When we were standing around, just talking in a group, I would periodically reach out and hug her, rest my chin on her head (she was very short) and just rest there. She would give me a look, exasperation mixed with fond resignation, and after a few minutes, I would let go. I never did it to the point she had to push me off or became uncomfortable, I just did it for short periods of time. A part of me needed to reaffirm what Im sure my friends already knew. Im here, I see you, I care. When one of my friends was upset, I was the first one to open my arms and let them cry on my shoulder. Finish the story here >> bit.ly/1r2Fx7y
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 00:10:34 +0000