Blog

“All you need is love…” the Beatles sing-out in an old song with lyrics that everyone can identify with. The desire for love and affection is built into our spirits. God himself even proclaimed it in Genesis when He said:  It’s not good for man to be alone. So, from the beginning of creation, God recognized our need for love and companionship.

Affection is something we all crave and is primarily desired from the people in our lives in the form of a hug, kiss, embrace, holding hands, or just a simple touch. But it can also come from our furry friends. However, the truth of its necessity was recently driven home to me during some medical trials my husband and I have endured.

I am blessed to have an affectionate and loving husband for more than fifty years. And being a “hugger,” myself, I freely and frequently give and receive hugs from friends, family, and sometimes even new acquaintances. So, when I saw the trail of surgery marks on my husband’s chest after he endured major open heart surgery, my heart ached to embrace him with comfort but had to withhold because of his fragile condition. Then, added to that, a few days later, I contracted Covid and had to isolate from my husband and everyone else. That’s when the natural need for affection was suddenly brought to the forefront for both of us like never before.

Covid became an eye-opening experience to the devastation on a person’s emotions like we’d never experienced, because the worst side effect of the disease was the loneliness that came from the isolation from others. While my husband was recovering I had to protect him from contracting what would be devastating to him in his delicate condition. I couldn’t be there to greet him and care for him when he came home. So, I  isolated in a bedroom at our son’s house until it was safe. And while there were brief verbal exchanges from a distance, my son and his wife were frequently absent for hours at a time. And out of precaution and for their protection, all conversation was kept at a great distance and to a minimum. Of course, that also meant I couldn’t even touch anyone, never mind give or receive hugs or kisses.

Adding another layer of pain to the situation, I was mourning the loss of my little dog, Caeser, who had to be put down one week before I became ill. But God in His great goodness and mercy saw to it that I would get some affection. You see, every morning an adorable little toy poodle named Cinnamon would bound into my bedroom and shower me with love and kisses. My son and his wife had also recently lost their little dog and so Cinnamon had come to live with them just a few weeks before I got Covid. Now this little furball spent a great deal of his day lying by my side and freely giving me affection. The affection I so craved but no one else could give.

In my novel, The Buzz @ Chicky-Pie’s Café, you might remember a dog named Skippy who doesn’t get much attention except from Elise. In one scene, Skippy excitedly wags his tail when he sees Elise, then puts his paw on her leg as if to say thanks for letting him outside. Even that little sign of affection was welcomed by her wanting soul. And if you watched the my YouTube video of my little Malti-Poo, Ceaser, for his 20^th Birthday, then you know that I promised Ceaser that I would continue his legacy by naming a new dog after him in my sequel. And true to my promise, before he passed away, and weeks before I had this experience of isolation, I did just that.

Thankfully I recovered from Covid without any major issues and was able to reunite with my husband and care for him. But he’s still in some pain and his body very fragile so I keep my hugs extra gentile.

So, when the sequel to the Buzz @ Chicky-Pie’s Café is released, don’t forget to look for how a new little furry friend named Ceaser, brings his own style of healing affection at just the right time too.  Meanwhile, I pray you will always live and love in a way that lifts the spirits and emotions of others—with affection.