Creation Every Day: Atlas of a Scratch

God created skin as our body’s first line of defense. When something potentially harmful brushes against it, like microbes or harmful insects, the skin’s sensory neurons sound the alarm with an itch. The brain answers the call by prompting us to deploy our finest defenders: fingernails.

Scratching produces a small amount of pain. In response, the brain shoots out serotonin, a pain-relieving chemical also known as the happy hormone.

Scientists have barely scratched the surface of understanding the body’s intricate itch signaling. But we do understand that a good back scratch does more than give us sweet relief. It declares our dependence on others. There’s something vulnerable about having areas on our body that we can’t reach. But what is more satisfying than finding a friend willing to relieve our tickle torment?

The Creator who gave us a network of skin sensory neurons delicate enough to detect a stray hair or speck of dust also made us for depending on a network of others to help us walk through grief, traverse disappointment, or take a scratchy stroll from Oregon down to Florida.

By this point, you’re probably feeling an itch somewhere on your midback. As for me, Rochester is calling. If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.