Power of Touch

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As I sit next to an aging parent who is emotionally labile, cognitively disabled and physically challenged, one tends to observe more than what I would have done in a hospital clinical situation. In the midst of all the caring provided by many family members, there is one intervention which seems to have a special effect on her. I want to call this “The Power of Touch”.

She usually, from where she is sitting will move her hands around looking for another hand to hold. As if to hold and “feel the presence” perhaps? The power of presence which calms the labile emotions? She seems to quieten down if such a hand is nearby. I often wonder, if I had a way to probe into the emotions of a cognitively challenged person….Touch which gives calming presence to a labile emotion…

The other time she will look for a hand is when she wants to get up and try moving. Spending the whole day in a wheel chair, would seem purposeless even for a mind which is seemingly at the end of any “reasonable function” as I see. But this mind looks for a hand, to hold so that she can pull herself up and try moving out of her restrained wheel chair. Touch with gives purpose to a seemingly purposeless mind….

At times, when she is on her feet, rare as it may be, she will not take a step ahead, unless there is a hand to protect. The challenged body for any motion needs the protection of an additional person and hand. And with the confidence of the protecting hand she will take a few stumbling steps, hard as it may be. The power of hand which provides protection to a challenged body….At times this touch also becomes a restraining touch!

If Touch is so powerful, why did I wait till she is 84 and I am 54 to offer this to her, for that matter, why is it that this powerful tool is so sparingly used?
Is not this picture of the “power of touch” also an external manifestation of an internal truth? The Touch of the spirit on her soul, which we cannot see, but we try to see through the eyes of faith?

Spirit, which is giving a soothing presence, a purpose for the inner man, though external man is wasting away and a protection till the soul is received into eternal presence?

I need to learn – to use this tool more often, and to see through my invisible eyes the invisible eternal touch in the midst of the visible temporal tools I use….

 

 

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