Affection
Dear Frankie,
My mom is very affectionate and likes to express her feelings of love physically. If it were up to her, I would be sitting on or beside her, being hugged and kissed, night and day.
I can take only so much touching before my skin starts to crawl.
Whenever I have had enough and pull away, she gets upset and says I don’t love her. I do love her, but I’m adverse to a lot of physical contact. She doesn’t seem to understand that there are many ways to show love.
She gets it about angry feelings. She is forever telling her nephew to use his words. I wish she would take her own advice and express her feelings in words by simply saying, “I love you, Lane.”
Lane
Dear Lane,
If your mom is single, it sounds like she could use a boyfriend. It’s hard being the object of affection of someone who rubs you the wrong way.
Perhaps by showing your mom in nonphysical ways that you love her, she will feel more secure about your feelings and have less need to touch you.
How about upping your expressive repertoire a notch by smiling at her more, winking at her now and then, and wagging your tail and twirling around when she enters the room.
What can you lose? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Best, Frankie
© 2025 Geneva Woodruff
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