Is this normal behavior for a 9yr old girl?

My daughter wants to hold hands with me when we are walking anywhere, to the store, in the park, inside the house from bedroom to living room. Not all day everyday but sometimes. She has attempted to grab hold of my hand while I'm busy walking from one room to the next and while I'm holding stuff.I try to spend time with her everyday. Usually at nights I will sit by her bed and we will talk about our day and what is going on. When I kiss her good night she puts her arms around my neck and pulls me close and does not let go. She tells me she loves me very much and just hangs on to me for what seems forever I have to pull away. As I'm walking off, she will reach out and grab my hand and if I let her she'll just hold it there I have to pull it away at some point.I tell her I love her everyday. I kiss her and hug her everyday. In pre-k and kindergarten I'd often see her holding her teacher's hands. I've seen grownups and kids alike be made uncomfortable with how affectionate she is.My wife has expressed concerns as well. I think I give her the proper affection but when she was a baby and toddler I coddled her constantly. I would kiss her and hug her and tell her how much I loved her often throughout the day. I fear I may have overdone it and now she seems to need much more affection than other children.Our youngest daughter who is 5yrs old is annoyed by her. She tells me that my eldest bothers her in school because she wants to be hugging her all the time.My 9yr old is book smart. She learned to read early on. She is sensitive and her feelings get easily hurt. She is also constantly talking to the point that she has to be reprimanded at times because she can go on forever.One time she was crying at night because she said she did not want to go to school because she wanted to spend time with me. She did not want me to go to work so we could be together and not be apart.On one occasion the family was walking down the street to the park with her and an 11yr old cousin. She and him were walking behind us and she was just really close to him. I turned back and it seemed as if their faces were touching. On another occasion we were all just sitting around in the same room and I noticed she was overly playful with him and again very close. I've had talks with her in the past about respecting each other's space.Is there anything I can do to make her more independent? I don't what might be the underlying cause but it worries me that she might have low self esteem or something. Does this behavior seem normal to you all? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2kCnKgf