It s far form a universal, but it is much more than I remember it when I was young. Men used to shake hands, now we give each other a hug, men and women. It s easier to hug someone we are close to, someone we have known for a long time. He and I are separated by a thick, impenetrable plexiglass partition. We can t even shake hands when we visit.
Older people say they don t get touched as much as they used to by friends and family members.
I was moved by a story of Cardinal O Connor of New York. Now he has a brain tumor and is bloated and misshaped by chemotherapy. His photos seem to be of another person. He is much weakened and has trouble walking up the altar steps. In his new condition he also goes to AIDS wards and bathes and feeds the sick there.