With Valentine’s Day being this week, many people are thinking about love. I wanted to talk a little bit about love and why it is necessary for a balanced and healthy life. Now I am not talking about romance, but love – caring and concern for our fellow beings, the nurturing care of a mother for her child. This is the type of love that I am referring to, and it is powerful.
There is an interesting phenomenon in child development called “failure to thrive.” Failure to thrive is basically that normal growth and development does not take place. There are several causes for failure to thrive like hormonal imbalances, organ dysfunction, poor nutrition, etc. However the interesting thing is that not having a good emotional connection with parents or caregivers is recognized as a cause of failure to thrive. In fact, babies that have food and shelter will still not develop and grow properly without a good dose of touch, such as holding or cuddling. Without physical contact babies can even waste away and die.
As far as I am aware, it is not fully understood why this is the case. We understand that lack of touch and, I would argue, love leads to stress in babies that can lead to all the other problems associated with failure to thrive. It is also interesting to note that similar problems tend to occur in the aged. I have known of many aged adults that will have their health deteriorate and pass away quickly when they feel they can no longer contribute and are no longer wanted. Whether it is having an injury that limits them, the loss of a loved one, or being put in a nursing home, I have personally seen this change in individuals.
I believe that love is an essential human need. We were designed to interact with others, and when we isolate ourselves it affects our well-being. In society today, while we may interact with many individuals through a multiplicity of means, I believe that we do not show enough love. And this at least in part is a cause for many of the societal ills that we observe today.
So this Valentine’s Day I hope that you will show some love! (And not just for your ‘significant other’) It does not have to be anything big or difficult. Take some time to call an old friend and let them know you were thinking of them. Smile and say ‘hi’ to someone that you might not know. Think outside of yourself, and see how you might serve or brighten someone else’s day. You may just be surprised at the power that love can have.
