Vi,
What beautiful insight; thank you so much for sharing. This brought tears to my eyes, because you express everything I still long to express but don't, because it's been three years and I think I "ought" not to be pouring out my longing and agony of absence for everyone to see anymore. But it's all still there, raw, fresh, yearning; I miss them more today than ever before. That void, that empty spot at the table of my heart still hurt; the smells and smiles and quirks and idiosyncracies linger so long after that I can't help but long for the skin that used to contain all those smells and smiles and quirks and idiosyncracies.

And how I too would love to be annoyed by my Mom just one more time.

I've had a lifelong problem with the well-intentioned phrase "God is enough", because the concept of God, even a profound faith in the unseen God, isn't always enough to assuage the yearning for skin to touch with our passion and love and longing. We ARE God's skin to each other; without our hands, our hugging arms, our smiling faces, our feet, our caring eyes and listening ears, God is severely limited in how He can touch us and truly be with us in the ways that our hearts and souls yearn to be companioned.

Thank you again Vic, for sharing your depth of insight and wisdom.