When the Words Fail

I’m blessed to have some truly amazing, phenomenal people in my life. Even the ones I don’t like are excellent teachers for me.

But today I’m talking about the ones with whom I am closest, the ones I have the most intimate relationships with, the ones with whom I can let go and be totally myself.

When the folks I’m closest to and love most intensely do things for me that are particularly surprising and moving, I find I experience a fierce, urgent need to express my feelings to them. Then I get frustrated because the words just can’t keep up with the feelings and emotions. No matter how extensive and impressive my vocabulary becomes, the letters grouped together just fail. Utterly.

Everybody has experienced the inadequacy of words in matters of the heart and soul.

It seems to happen increasingly often to me as my heart expands, as I continue to bust wide open.

And I think that, at these times when words fail, it’s then that falling back to a different language is of paramount importance.

At these times, when we cannot say with words how we feel, it’s crucial that we make the gestures of showing people they’re loved through action.

Loving action can take countless forms – picking up someone’s dry-cleaning, babysitting, taking someone to lunch – the options are legion.

But I’m also talking about touch.

When words fail me, I need to touch. I feel strongly that it’s the only way to convey meanings that are above words, deeper than words, thicker, more excruciating, more precious, and more infinite than words.

The heart-breaking gentleness of a hand on your cheek instead of hearing the spoken words, “I love you”….

The strength communicated by a hand gripping yours in times of fear, uncertainty, or grief….

The soul-stirring, crushing intimacy achieved in an unflinching meeting of eyes….

This and so much more…. There’s so much more we can say to one another and even to ourselves through touch.

I feel it’s necessary, vital, required now more than ever before. We need the messages that words can’t convey to us, can’t convey to our loved ones. And the only way we communicate those meanings is through touch.

So here’s to reaching out.