I have this habit that I didn’t realize I had.  Craig pointed it out a while back.  Then I started noticing it.

It is I guess a sort of self-soothing, thinking, unaware thing I do when I’m lost in thought, anxious, bored, reminiscing or what not.

Usually it involves just my left hand, but I have been known to do it with both hands.

What is it?

I rub my thumb between my second and third fingers in a back and forth motion, generally across my nail, in an absent mind sort of way.

Once this was pointed out to me, I tried to pay attention to when I did it or the occasions I did it.  It seems to be something I do when I am deep in thought and definitely a tactile means of self-soothing.

I wondered for a bit why I did this.  I wondered was this something I learned by observation. All the while, rubbing my fingers.

I had this nagging feeling that I had seen the behavior somewhere.  A sort of comfort behavior.

Then I remembered this picture.

Here is the same finger pose. Pensive thinking, fingers ready.

I love this picture.

This person I loved with all my heart.

When I rub my fingers now, I also remember my Grandmother.

I’m connected to her again.  I remember her love.

Sigh.

Rub. Rub. Rub.

It’s self-soothing when you miss someone.

I am now on a mission to discover how many family members inherited this trait or learned this behavior.

So far I’ve found two more.  🙂