This thread has broken my heart. I am a massage therapist and when I was in school I went to a woman's shelter for a "Pamper Me" night and offered free chair massage to the women there. Then I sat and talked to a woman who did not believe any touch could be okay. We just talked and I asked her if it was okay if I put my hand out palm up on the table and just rested it there, in case she decided she wanted to feel what okay touch was like. She very shakily said okay. I placed my hand palm up and kept it very still while we talked. After 45 minutes of talking, she finally tentatively reached out and barely touched my palm with a fingertip. I did not react, and just kept on with the story I was telling and she finally rested her fingers in my hand. I asked her if it would be okay if I gently held her hand and she said yes. I thanked her for honoring me with such an incredible gift. So I told that story to ask all of you if can initiate touch? And if you can, is it okay then?
I became interested in massage because it involves nurturing touch. I had too much bad touch when I was young. So now positive touch is vital to me. Both giving and receiving it.
