Coming to my front door
Heaviness with each step
Fumbling for my key
Turning the latch
Unable to shake loose the day
Walking inside
He is there
Waiting
Enfolding me in his arms
His muscles firm against
My weakness
His cheek a pillow for my tears
My body leaning in
Swaths of warmth 
Running down my spine
Tension loosening
Soothed by his strength
Skin to skin
Heart to soul 
His touch
Melting my stress
I am home

When death takes our beloved person, grief turns every moment into a challenge. Our pain can be unbearable. There is no quick fix to lift our pain. Part of our grief work is to get our inside thoughts and feelings expressed, acknowledged, mourned. Naming and claiming all we have lost can help us get through the days ahead. 

One of our deepest losses that often goes unacknowledged is missing physical contact from our loved one — that soul touch that comes with a deep relationship. This is not about meeting sexual needs but about the needs of the heart. We don’t “get over” this loss but we can go on and even thrive. Understanding our touch needs helps us understand our wild feelings and increases our self-compassion.