A Hand to Hold

Yesterday morning, my heart skipped a beat. Fingers interlaced with mine and clung tightly while another hand reached over to squeeze my wrist just for a second. I looked down at where my son's fingers alternated with my own and saw the loving smile on his freckled face as he let go of my wrist but still clasped his hand together with mine and thought to myself, "That is the best feeling in the world."

You see, my son is ten years old. We were in the hallway walking toward his classroom before school. There were kids and teachers everywhere. I love that he isn't the slightest bit embarrassed or self-conscious about holding my hand and giving me a kiss goodbye when I leave. I know this will change, and probably in the very near future, as his teen years are swiftly approaching, but right now I cherish this voluntary and uninhibited closeness. That tight grasp that comes so easily and naturally to him speaks right to my heart. 

That flood of emotion got me thinking about the simple gesture of holding hands. God, it's powerful! That most basic form of physical connection and shared affection. It can hold comfort, security, solidarity, hope, forgiveness, promise...in a way that nothing else does. 

Maybe I'm just a sentimental fool, but pop music through the years supports me in this. The Beatles sang about holding hands making you "feel happy inside" in "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." And when he was still known as "Hootie," Darius Rucker issued an invitation to a shared life in "Hold My Hand." So, I'm pretty sure it's not just me who thinks holding hands is pretty special. 

Horrific events like the bomb attacks at the Boston Marathon wound my heart and leave me shaken to the core. And I confess that what I long for most in hours of confusion, frustration, and despair is a hand to hold--a touch that assures me that someone else shares my pain and is there through it all. 

I know that for some it's a simple, casual gesture that may not hold any meaning at all, but I believe that the ability to hold the hand of a child, a parent, a lover, or even a friend, is something precious. It's a connection that some people never have. Treasure it when you do.