“I really just want someone to come over and brush my hair or let me cry in their lap while they pet my head and tell me I'll be okay." And I cried harder because I felt so ashamed to want that from a friend—from someone who was not a romantic partner or a parent—because I didn't have either right now but I still wanted it. We section off physical comfort and intimacy so heavily. We reserve it for partners only, and platonic friends can only chit-chat and that's it. How can you tell people to be okay with being single while also telling them they can only get the basic human needs of physical touch from not being single?” AffectionSingle Life Book:How to Be Alone: If You Want To, and Even If You Don't Source: How to Be Alone: If You Want To, and Even If You Don't
“So you take physical affection when you can get it, almost feeling guilty when you do. You might sleep with someone just to get to the cuddling part, knowing full well that if cuddling had been on the table, you might not have even slept with them to begin with. You might get super happy when your yoga teachers do adjustments because having someone touch you in a safe, gentle way—even for two seconds—feels like it changes your whole world. I know I do. Partly because human beings are designed to be physically comforted by one another.” AffectionTouch Book:How to Be Alone: If You Want To, and Even If You Don't Source: How to Be Alone: If You Want To, and Even If You Don't