Most of us are familiar with the experience of “skin hunger,” whether or not we were even aware it had a name. It's a deep longing and aching desire for physical contact with another person. Touch is considered the first sense we acquire and our skin is our largest sensory organ... the almost universal desire to wrap tiny babies in embraces is an example of how we all long to be close to another. Yet as we get older, there may be fewer and fewer opportunities to satisfy our hunger for the touch of another human being. In fact, some geriatric care centers have begun programs in which hugs are provided on a regular basis to make sure skin hunger does not go unsatisfied.
