My kids are fantastic at comforting me when I’m in physical pain. They are adorable about it. If we’re walking through the grocery store and my body starts to give out, I use the cart as a sort of walker and am all hunched over it. One of them invariably starts rubbing my back as we walk. They also pull on my arms and legs to stretch out the tendons for me. It’s all very matter of fact for them, just usual life stuff, but it pains me to know that they’ve never known me as a pain-free person. It touches me that they care.
My husband’s touch – a hug, holding my hand, laying his hand on my hip while lying in bed – brings me a lot of emotional comfort, too. He brings a feeling of safety, protection, and love to my mind. I settle in and go, “Ahhh”.