| Can I touch my love as she dies? |
|
ARTICLE SUMMARY Shaking violently in the crib, the child cringed when Mother Teresa bent down and picked him up. His bones protruded from his chest, and his eyes with black circles underneath, spoke volumes of the suffering he had received the past weeks from the bombing in Lebanon. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity came to the rescue of all the children in that hospital during a brief truce during the war. Bringing them to their home outside of the war zone, the malnourished children needed one thing above all – touch. The children were not able to eat until that need was met. Touch from those caring hands filled that need and replaced the fear that was devouring them from within. That is healing touch. Touch brings comfort and when facing death and dying we may need it more than anything else.
Can I touch my love as she dies? FULL ARTICLE Shaking violently in the crib, the child cringed when Mother Teresa bent down and picked him up. His bones protruded from his chest, and his eyes with black circles underneath, spoke volumes of the suffering he had received the past weeks from the bombing in Lebanon. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity came to the rescue of all the children in that hospital during a brief truce during the war. Bringing them to their home outside of the war zone, the malnourished children needed one thing above all – touch. The children were not able to eat until that need was met. Touch from those caring hands filled that need and replaced the fear that was devouring them from within. That is healing touch. Touch brings comfort to us all. We all need it, and when facing death and dying we may need it more than anything else. Hold your loved one’s hands as they face their own death. Look into their eyes, caress your loved one’s hands, arms and face. Massage your loved one if they like it. Hold your loved one if you can, sharing your body warmth and love. This may be hard if you are not a “touching person” – you may find it uncomfortable. You should put aside your own feelings to care for your loved one. Often touch will satisfy the need for communication better than the spoken word. The touch conveys the true meaning behind “I love you”. It is an action that speaks of how we feel in our hearths. For one who is facing death and dying, the touch that you give them may well fill their heart and bring them joy far more than words could express. By touching our loved one facing death and dying, you communicate with a message more powerful than words themselves. You show how much you care, how much your loved one means to you, by your simple touch. |