Holding Hands

There are lots of ways to express intimacy, embracing, kissing or simply gazing into each other's eyes. Everyone has a unique interpretation of what intimacy is.

I believe in body langauge. It speaks louder and clearer than mere words. When you hold a person's hand, you could feel the undercurrent of emotions. Because you are actually touching, you could sense love or love missing. Hands don't lie.

Holding hands then, to me, is the sublimation of intimacy. It's an affirmation that the other person is your significant other. When you see a couple holding hands, it's usually the guy who envelopes the girl's hand. It's rarely the other way around. It's a way to say that the guy wants to protect the girl and the girl assents to entrusting herself to the guy.

When a father gives away the bride, he is entrusting his daughter to the groom, by placing her hand in his. I always tear up at this point because of all the love, trust and blessing, in one gesture.

Somehow, it also reminds me of Courtly love in the midddle ages. The Lady would give her hand to her worthy knight and the knight would kiss the back of her hand as a seal of love and loyalty.

C'est romance, pour moi.
(photo: http://www.charlieandnick.com/images/holding_hands.jpg)