Note: Today’s post is part of the Write 31 Days challenge. You can find the introduction and links to the posts in this series right here.

Confession: I’m not a touchy-feely sort of person. (I’m sure that’s no surprise since I’ve shared before about how introverted I am and how I really, really need my personal space.) Sure, I give friends and relatives a quick squeeze hello, but that’s about the extent of my tolerance for physical touch.

And I guess it’s a good thing I’m that way, because Jon’s not overly demonstrative, either, especially out in public. Seriously, trying to hold hands with him - which I actually wouldn’t mind on occasion - is a near impossibility. It’s just not his thing!

But when it’s just the two of us, we actually do cuddle on the couch, and we both enjoy it (unless I’m cold and grab my blanket, at which point he sits as far away from me as possible since his CSF leak makes him run hot all the time).

So, even though no one would accuse us of being the overly-romantic, lovey-dovey types, we do both occasionally appreciate the gift of physical touch. And I have a feeling a lot of people are like us, where even if it’s not their greatest enjoyment, they do need it once in a while.

With that in mind, today’s assignment is to embrace your husband. Give him a hug when you welcome him home. Slip your hand into his when you’re at home by yourselves. You may find that he’s just not into physical touch as much as others are, and that’s perfectly fine (unless this is an expression of love that you need, and in that case, you need to tell him how you feel so that the two of you can work on it together). But you might discover, as I have, that your physical-touch-resistant husband actually enjoys it to some extent, when it’s done in the right context.

I’ve always thought of both Jon and myself as being completely against physical touch, but the reality is that we do both enjoy it and need it at times. Had we not tried it in different settings, we might never have discovered that there is a time and place for it in our marriage.

That’s why I think it’s important to embrace your own husband, too. It could be that he really does dislike physical touch - any form of it, in any situation. But how sad would it be if he actually would enjoy it but you always assumed it wasn’t his style?

Enjoy spending time with your husband. Try new things. Embrace him. Have fun discovering what works and what doesn’t for the two of you!

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