On a wooded trail in Nova Scotia I noticed the roots of these trees, intertwined as if they were holding hands. It was a tender, intimate little scene – and it made me reflect on the importance of touch to life itself.
Research shows that plants respond to the sensation of touch. For humans, it’s not just a sensory experience – it’s something that’s essential to our survival.
As Nicole K. McNichols Ph.D. wrote in an article in Psychology Today, “The research demonstrating the need for human touch is vast. From a developmental standpoint, infants literally cannot survive without human touch.”
Science knows it, and in our hearts we know it too: We need each other.
We need each other, even if that need isn't always readily apparent. At the infusion center where I get the chemo treatments for my blood cancer, there’s a small sign at the check-in desk: “Be kind to everyone. Others are fighting a battle that you know nothing about.”
I love that sign.
As you go about your day today, consider going out of your way to offer a kind word, a touch of kindness to someone you meet. Perhaps, like the trees with intertwined roots, you might reach out and hold the hand of someone you care about.
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