I may be repeating myself, but there’s magic in hand holding.
When I’m walking with the kids and we approach a crosswalk, crowd or parking lot I put my hands down by my sides, slightly behind me and I wiggle my fingers. Within a moment both kids will slip their fingers into mine.
The world stops for a moment, and I am flooded with joy. Every single time.
There is nothing so perfect as my children slipping their palms against mine. They trust me, I love them, they need me, I need them.
Every time it’s a miracle.
Today I told Alexander how much I loved holding his hand. He pulled it away. It was crushing.
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*Hug*
i don’t have kids, so i don’t get the hand holding thing. but i love it when my dog licks my face…except when she’s just been…you know…doing her thing. then it’s gross and it’s ME that pulls away.
I agree that there is pure magic in the simple act of hand holding. The link. The love. The leaning. My girls are still tiny, but I dread the day when they don’t want to hold my hand. And I know it will come. The evolution, the independence, the separation – all wonderful and bittersweet. In many ways, I think hand holding becomes more metaphorical over time. As parents, I think we hold the hands of our kids forever. Wherever they are. Whomever they become.
Well, you described so well something I didn’t know could be expressed in words. The simplest things that we can’t really put our fingers on. Speaks volumes to the joy of parenthood. So beautifully written for a gesture so simple yet so fundamental. Thank you.
I sent this little piece to my husband and he wrote this back: “Agreed. [Our 11 yo] will still hold my hand sometimes, even though he is getting old and big. makes me happy every time as well, as it may be the last…” We seldom have moments like this due to hectic work/travel schedule. So… thanks again. :-)