Last night I was lucky enough to see a friend I hadn't seen in a while. She had moved away and came back for an unexpected visit. This friend has an amazing talent, she gives some of the best hugs I have ever received. Her love just pulses through whoever she hugs. It may sound silly, but I crave her hugs when she's gone. It’s like when I get a hug from her some of her optimism transfers over to me and gives me the strength to make it through this crazy life.
About a week ago my family came home from vacation and were happy to see our "little sister" after three long weeks. She's not our sister by blood or marriage or any program, but she is very much our sister. And she gives hugs like no other. The kind where she holds on and won't let go. They're special and lasting. And when we saw her after three weeks away and she gave me one of her special hugs I was certainly not surprised, but very thankful. I hadn't realized how much I had missed them.
About three years ago today I received a hug I will never forget. I was in Roatan Honduras on vacation with my family and in the two weeks we were there we met and became quite close to someone there. Meeting him changed my whole outlook on life, but what I remember most about him was the way he hugged me goodbye. He's a very outgoing person. The kind of guy who loves everyone and isn't afraid to show it. And that kind of love just radiates off of him. And when he hugged me that time it radiated right through me. It was something I had never felt before. And it made me realize how powerful a hug can really be.
There are many different kinds of hugs. There's the casual, nice to see you hug. The big, I haven't seen you in far too long and I missed you hug. There's the overjoyed hug. The I love you so much hug. The shoulder to cry on hug. The I'll see you tomorrow hug. And the I wish we didn't have to say goodbye hug. Big strong hugs like the ones my uncle gives where his strength just makes you feel safe. Or clingy hugs like when my sister hugs me and won't let go and they make you feel missed and wanted. Or ones like my two friends where they literally give you a boost of energy and optimism. There are countless categories. Countless kinds of hugs and countless reasons for a hug.
Of course, that's coming from someone who's always looking for a reason for a hug. As you have probably gathered, I'm a very cuddly person. I'll take any chance I get to give a hug or snuggle with my family. But recently I've realized that the true, real hugs are few and far between. And I think it's something that really needs to be fixed. I realize not everyone is a “hugger”, I know a few people who only hug when absolutely necessary. But whether you consider yourself a "hugger" or not, it's no secret, a hug is a powerful thing and needs to be shared.
We thrive on human connection. There is healing that can be felt when two people hug long enough to let the warmth flow between them. I still crave hugs like the big strong ones my uncle gives, or the clingy ones like my sister gives, or warm ones like my friend gave me last night, or like my other friend gave me that day three years ago. I don’t know when I will see any of these people again, but I will always remember their hugs.
This life is hard, we get hurt, but every one of these hugs healed me a little. Made me feel needed, safe, loved, or more optimistic about life. Hugs are powerful and we should never miss an opportunity to hug someone. And always make it mean something. Because a hug is powerful, and all it takes is a little love.
Neither of these lovely ladies were specifically mentioned in this post, but they too are pretty awesome huggers!
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