Did you meet a friend for lunch? According to "The Farmer's Almanac," if you are American you probably touched each other twice an hour. If you are English, you may not touch each other at all. If you are French, you might touch each other 110 times an hour, and if you are Puerto Rican, you just might touch each other 180 times an hour.
There are obvious cultural differences in communication styles, but studies agree that touching is important to human development. Psychologist Wayne Dennis observed a group of babies in an orphanage where they were given practically no stimulation, including touch ("New Mind" by Robert Ornstein and Paul Ehrlich; A Touchstone Book, 1990). Most laid on their backs all day in bare cribs placed in bare rooms. They were touched only when their diapers were changed. At the end of one year, the children's development was about that of a six-month-old. The good news is that, once adopted into nurturing environments, these children quickly caught up to other children their age.
Human touch is vital. With it, we thrive. Without it, we wither. And it is good preventive medicine. It is simpler to hold a hand than to hold a consultation. A hanging head needs a shoulder under it. A back rub can be the easiest way to get a "monkey off someone's back." And the best way to get somebody's chin up is by lifting it with a gentle hand.
One of the best gifts you can give another may be an encouraging touch. And would you really mind if the gift were returned?
And that's something you can hang your hat on.
Most Recent Entries
11/21/08 - SOMETHING TO HANG YOUR HAT ON-YOUR CROSS A young man was at the end of his rope; seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer.
"Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."
The man was filled with relief and said, "Thank you Lord," and he did as...>>Read more...
The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
"That laundry is not very clean," she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap." Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same...>>Read more...
A true story points to a universal truth about human beings: we learn best by watching how others behave.
President Calvin Coolidge once invited friends from his hometown to dine with him at the White House. Unsure of their table manners, the guests decided to imitate the president. They watched closely to see which utensils he used, what foods he ate and when.
Their strategy seemed to succeed until coffee was served. Coolidge...>>Read more...
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.>>Read more...
11/17/08 - SOMETHING TO HANG YOUR HAT ON-THE GRADE I received this in my e-mail box over the weekend. It was written by a minister, but the story told is one I could SO identify with, I just had to share it. If you were like me (and for that matter, my son) and were, shall we say, "overly social" in school, then this-"The Grade"-is for you.
"You must be a Bronner?"
I was sitting in the lunchroom of my kids' school. I had just finished making a presentation to one of the...>>Read more...
I got this and thought you would like it. It touch me cause the anniversary of my moms death is next month it will be years and still hurts.
Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen...>>Read more...
• It helps you feel in control. In a recent study, people who wrote a letter expressing their gratitude once a week felt more independent that those who didn't – because they started to take credit for the good things in their lives.
Dave was struggling through a bus station with two huge and obviously heavy suitcases when a stranger walked up to him and asked, "Have you got the time?"
Dave sighed, put down the large and cumbersome suitcases and spoke to his wristwatch. "Time please."
"The time is five thirty," came a voice somewhere in the timepiece.
"Wow! What a watch!" exclaimed the stranger. >>Read more...
We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy; and I mean, he was really friendly.
