I've always wanted someone to hold hands with. Growing up, I was (and still am a bit) a hopeless romantic. There's that whole intimacy thing about holding hands. Plus, when you're walking hand in hand, you're announcing to the world who you're with. What did the boy octopus say to the girl octopus? I wanna hold your hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand... The point - not only was it imperative to "find someone" but it was also important to hold their hand.

Now that I'm married and have a hand to hold, I'm realizing the difficulties of hand holding. You don't think about it, but it's quite the task to walk hand in hand with someone. You both have to be in step with each other or it's just awkward looking. If you walk a little slower, it's hard to keep up. Let's not forget that arm length and height can make a huge difference. If the combination isn't just right, someone's walking with their elbow all crooked making it extrememly uncomortable. And comfort is part of the reason we hold hands.

In my case, what makes hand holding difficult is that the wife has carpel tunnel syndrome and a touch of arthritis in her hands. Her hands constantly hurt from all the sewing she does. So, when there's a chance to hold hands, we usually don't because it hurts too much to have that squeeze. Or if we do hold hands, it's when we're not moving and one hand is on top of the other. No pressure. No squeeze. Less pain.

So, if you don't have a valentine, don't fret. I bet you look just fabulous walking...