Not everyone assigns the same meaning to intimacy. Two people can share the same moments -holding hands, hugging, resting against one another, playful affection, even kissing and leave with entirely different understandings of what those moments meant. Neither person is necessarily being dishonest. They are simply speaking different emotional languages. For some, physical affection is one expression of care. It can comfortably exist within friendship, independent of romance or lifelong commitment. Affection is valued for what it offers in the present, without implying a particular future. There seems to be another way of experiencing those same moments. In this view, physical closeness is not merely an enjoyable act. It is one of the ways human beings gradually build enduring attachment. A hand held is not just a hand held. A quiet embrace is not just an embrace. These moments become part of a larger movement toward belonging. Physical intimacy is meaningful because it points bey...