My son holds my hand when he is going down a flight of stairs. Sometimes he reaches for my hand in a crowd. He’s not old enough to talk but the way he holds my hand communicates his total confidence in my support, that I will be there in case of a misstep and he will not fall. He holds my hand in complete trust not because he’s following the rule. The rule is that we hold hands in the parking lot. It’s a different feeling when your children hold your hand because they count on you than when they are just following your rules. I know it won’t last. A day is coming when they won’t hold my hand at all. Probably in the next five years. Maybe six or seven years but not for much longer and only because it’s the rule. For now, my son holds my hand and he knows, as I do, that he will not fall.
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From @scavengerfolk