Holding Hands. We all do it, and I find that people tend to think that holding hands is just holding hands, but it's not. Holding hands can have so many different meanings.
The first thing that comes to mind when pondering hand holding is the basic relationship clasp. This is when a boy and a girl (or a man and a woman) hold hands. It is a form of affection or romance. Did you know that without realizing it, when this group of people hold hands, the males hand usually crosses in front of the females as a way of showing protection? That's just a lil' something that I learned in psychology class.
A form of hand holding that we've all experienced before is the death grip between a mother and her child while shopping at Wal-mart. This form of touch is used soley as a defense mechanism. I don't know about you, but if I was ever a child abductor, I would definitely stay away from and never come between the hands of a mother and her baby.
The best friend clutch is a very sweet but sort of controversial public display of affection. To me it says that they are best friends forever, but to some it's a matter of them being just friends or...a few bends short of a straight ruler. This is for the brave of heart only.
The hand to tail. Only the cat lovers will understand the power of this display of affection between a human and their furry friend. Since their four paws are usually planted firmly on the ground, the tail is a convienient replacement when showing your kitty some lovin'. Those who are more comfortable with their precious may even use the tail as a common site for planting little kisses when the face is just to yucky.
So as you can see, holding hands is so important. It connects two bodies in a way that is not intrusive or inappropriate, but instead is able to send subtle messages to one another. "I love you" or "I missed you" or "Don't go". But as important as holding hands is, there will always come a time when you have to let go. By letting go, I don't believe that you are really leaving them behind. Instead, by letting go you are saying, "I trust you".
When a boy lets go of a girls hand, he is trusting that she will come back to him. When a mother lets go of her child, she gives them the ultimate gift of freedom by trusting them to move on with their life. When an owner lets go of their cat's tail...well it's probably because the cat bit and scratched their way to freedom...but I think you get the point. There will always be a time to hold on, but make sure that, when the time is right, you let go.
