Driving home from the hospital after Jules was born, I sat next to him in the back seat and held his sweet little baby hand. I continued doing this for the next couple months, until I put my big girl pants on and moved to the front next to Mark.

Holding hands is a comforting way we bond. I love holding hands with my husband. I have fond memories of holding my parent’s hands throughout my childhood. My parents, celebrating 43 years of marriage, also hold hands to this day. I even hold my dog’s paws, when we’re relaxing together :).

I’ll always remember the first neighborhood walk Mark and I went on when we started dating. I remember how his hand felt – soft and strong, at the same time –  the butterflies that filled my chest because of this act of affection, the newness of it all. In nine years, not many days have passed that we haven’t held hands. We’ve continued to go on walks and our family has grown to a party of five. These walks have become a tradition and something I look forward to everyday. It’s when we put away our phones, talk about our day and are our most present with each other. 

Holding hands releases oxytocin, decreases cortisol and increases trust. If you have a minute, read my favorite article about the science of hand-holding here. It’s not always about finding the best and biggest ways to reconnect – it’s about finding the simple and small acts that make the biggest impact -- that can be done regularly and immediately.

For our family, quality time and touch, are some of the ties that bind us. How do you like to give and receive love? How do you express that love to connect and reconnect with your family? As Nat King Cole so beautifully sang in Nature Boy, the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return… Cheers to love of all kinds!