Golden Touch

“Touch has a memory.” ~John Keats

King Midas had that infamous “golden touch,” which meant that everything he touched turned to gold, and while on the face of it that seemed like a gift, it was really a curse. Can you imagine touching your cat or dog and suddenly having them turn into a solid block? Or never being able to touch your husband or wife again. Or not getting to tuck your children into bed at night. I can’t imagine the eternal sadness of such a curse because touch is an emotional sense, a tactile memory that gives us a connection to the rest of humanity.

We touch each other all the time, creating those memories that last a lifetime. Holding our newborn children. Patting each other on the back for a job well done. The ubiquitous fist bump of acceptance. A hug for a friend in need. We take these touches for granted because they happen so often, and they happen without us even thinking about them, but they mean so much to us and to others. They mean the world to us in a world where distance is becoming more and more the norm.

Sam