“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,

For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,

For the want of a horse the rider was lost,

For the want of a rider the battle was lost,

For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,

And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

Benjamin Franklin

~~~

Human Contact

I want a Hug.

I miss hugging my friends when I meet them for a walk. My friend Rockaye always smells so good – I can’t smell her anymore with our initial greeting.

My 84 year old Mom-in-Law came up to our outside deck for a Nosh for the first time In Ever. We sat on one end of the table and she sat on the other. The weather was agreeable to opening our outside space.

First time she has been out of her home for a month or more.

I miss hugging her too.

(Luckily, she is a bit of a hermit. She doesn’t mind. She really has no idea what is going on. She doesn’t know why we can’t hug. A weird blessing.)

This is Challenging.

Not only for the Elders.

I went for a walk with Rockaye. When we met, we bumped elbows and then spent 2 hours walking together and staying apart. And staying apart from others that we met. We went out at 8:00am on a Sunday. (You have to go early or there are too many people and it gets awkward. Not everyone respects space.)

We went through the Trails in Stanley Park. We did not go on the SeaWall.

Since then, my Husband and I have also had a socially-distanced walk with another Friend.

Life is Weird now.

How do we solve this need for human contact?

I’m not really sure but I am not willing to accept the Doom!

FaceTime (as much as I don’t normally like it as it means that I have to put on make up and have on a shirt without too many holes) ~ that might be a good idea? Not sure. Zoom?

I had a waaaay better image in my head of how I appeared! UGH!

Perhaps not.

I have never been a phone person. Not my thing.

I now have on my list at least 3-4 people that I need to call to connect with – perhaps I can’t hug them in person but I need to figure out a way to let them know that I love them and that I miss the contact. I have to adjust.

We all do.

Again, as much as I didn’t think I would ever say this … I Need a Hug.

I know many people who do. I’m not alone. (Well, I am , kind of …)

For the Want of a Hug, A Connection was lost.

For the loss of the Connection, a Separation is created.

In being Separated, we feel Alone.

In feeling Alone, We become Accustomed to It.

In being Accustomed to It, We lose Who we Are.

In losing Who We Are, We lose our Society.

All for the want of a Hug.

~~~

Reach out. Not by text. By Voice. By FaceTime. By Zoom. Connect.

We can make it through this. I have learned something about myself. I thought I was a bit of a Lone Wolf, but I’m not.

I Need you All. I need the Connection.

I need the Hug. Everything hinges on that.

Looking forward to hugging you all.