Some of us fear, quite reasonably, the letdown of finding closeness and then losing it again. We want to be sure a potential partner deserves our trust, and it is always a gamble. If we can get past the inhibiting fear, we may open ourselves to the touch of others, however limited, and find it holds a healing power. Being held with tender attention—for example, in someone’s lap or side by side with arms around each other—supplies the mirroring love that may have been missing in our childhood.
