The old lady came to the doctor´s office alone. With her seven decades of life, she was completely independent.

However, despite her apparent physical vigor, her face was wilted, as a flower that had lost the morning lush.

The consultation had begun, after the description of the minor illnesses that bothered her, the doctor decided to go deeper.

Why such a dull look, as if the days were no longer bright?

So he subtly inquired of the patient to tell him how her days went, what her life was like.

She was a widow, she said. Her husband had passed away a couple of years ago. She lived alone. She had five children.

All of them had attended the university and had professions with successful careers.

Four of them were married, had children. The youngest, however, had not consorted.

She had bothered to fulfill her academic dreams and, in pursuit of them, had set aside marriage. She lived in a small apartment and had a dog, to make her company.

She got along with the dog very well, and he awaited for her, every night, by the door, vigilantly.

It was the moment she relaxed, served his meal and talked to him, as if speaking to a child.

That even seemed strange, the lady said. But then, watering her eyes, she confided:

I will tell you something, doctor. I have grandchildren of all married children. I use to visit them on the weekends, holidays, when I know they are at home.

I get there, I immediately announce: “Grandma is here! Hello kids.”

None of them come to me. If they are in front of the TV, they do not stop watching anything to greet me.

If they have their eyes on their cell phones, they keep typing, texting, reading whatever someone in the distance has sent them.

It is like I do not exist. And it is always like this. It hurts the soul, doctor. Not one smile, not one hug, even if I stay longer at their houses.

They do not leave their cell phones, they do not get away from the TV.

Now, I will tell you this: when I go to my daughter´s house, I just have to set foot in the apartment, the dog runs to meet me.

He leaps, jumps up of joy, wraps his paws around me like a hug.

I sit at the table for coffee, tea, a conversation with my girl. The dog lies down at my feet and stands there.

Every once in a while, he rubs his paws on me, as if to say: “Hi, I am here.”

Well doctor, it looks like the dog is my only grandson. Can you believe such a thing?

*   *   *

We all want to be loved. We all need affection, attention.

When the pain tears our soul apart, when we feel lonely, when we long for someone to embrace us, it will not matter what millions of friends we have on our Facebook, the ones who follow us on Twitter.

Or the hundreds of texting messages, photos and videos that come to us daily through Whatsapp.

None of this replaces a look of love, a caress of tenderness, an enveloping hug.

So let us use what technology provides us but let us not forget that we are people. And people need people near each other, warmth, cuddling.

Let us think about it.

 Spiritist Moment Team,  based on facts.
January, 6.2020.