The Power Of A Hug

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!

Friends In Far Places

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” ~ Tim Cahill

My family has always liked to travel. Camping trips, driving to Florida, family reunions, cruising, and most recently trips to Roatan Honduras. We just got home from a three week trip to Roatan where my family is building an Eco Lodge called The Runaway Pineapple. We love to travel and love to meet new people wherever we go. But the problem with meeting new people on vacation is that, chances are, you live nowhere near each other once you’re back home again.

So what do you do? The people we meet on vacation are the people who make our vacations amazing, but will we just never see them again? Three years ago we were on the island and met many awesome people. They made our time there unforgettable. A few of them we haven’t heard from since, and a few we still talk to and have even seen since then. This most recent trip is the same story. We met some awesome people, but will we ever see them again?

So if, chances are, we won’t see the people we meet on vacation again, does that mean we should keep them at a distance? Not get too close because we’ll probably never see each other again? These people are the difference between just another trip and an amazing vacation. Don’t treat those vacation friends just as that, people you will only see on vacation. Treat them as friends. If they’re people you think you really want to keep in your life when the vacations over, then don’t be afraid to keep the relationship going! Keep in touch!

I know how hard a long distance friendship can be. I have some good friends who have moved away and we struggle to keep in touch. I also met some really good friends on vacation and, even though it's really hard to stay friends due to the long distance between us, I honestly can say I wouln't be who I am without having met them and I am so glad we've managed to stay friends after the vacation was over.

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” ~ Tim Cahill. Those vacation friends are the reason the vacation was amazing, so why let them disappear when the trip comes to an end? Don’t let those vacation friends slip away!

Do you have a story about someone you met on vacation? I would love to hear it!

 

Thank you Delta's napkin for the inspiration

Year Of Adventure

"To live would be an awfully big adventure" ~ Peter Pan. I know I've brought up this quote before, but seeming as it's kind of my life motto, you should know in advance that it will probably come up in more than one blog post. So today it has come up again. And with good reason.

Today is the first day of 2017. Last year, as some of you know, my new years goal was to write one good thing a day on a card and I kept them in a jar. Some days it was hard, the only good thing I could come up with being sleep. And of course there were also the days so full of good things it took up the whole card. It taught me to find the good in every day and really improved my outlook on life. In fact I enjoyed doing it so much, and enjoyed looking through them all at the end of the year, that I was kind of sad I wouldn't be doing it anymore. The year was over and I needed a new New Years Goal. After thinking about it I've declared this coming year a year of adventure. A year of risks, flying leaps, and LIVING.
I've always been a very cautious person, to a fault sometimes. So, to force myself to take more risks, I've decided to have one adventure a day. One risk a day. One thing I wouldn't normally do. Some might be as simple as trying a new food, some as crazy as moving to another state. "To live would be an awfully big adventure" after all, and I plan on 2017 being a year full of adventure!

What is your New Years Goal? I would love to hear about it! And remember, if you like what you read, please share with your friends, follow me on facebook at Jessica Page, and subscribe to my blog with your email so you never miss a post! Thank you for reading! Happy New Year!

Red Light Green Light

15 traffic lights. I have to go through 15 traffic lights on my way to work. Then of course there’s the same 15 lights on my way home. That’s 30 lights on my commute, and that’s only if I go straight to work and straight home and don’t run any errands. That’s the potential to hit 30 or more red lights in one day. Yea, of course the probability of that actually happening is incredibly slim, but it is still a possibility. You can probably imagine how some days I get incredibly frustrated on my way to or from work. No one enjoys sitting at a red light. But sometimes it's necessary. And not only literally,  but also metaphorically. Literally, what if all we had were green lights? Well I would hope that would be pretty obvious. It would be a mess. The same goes for metaphorically.

Life is like a traffic light. It’s times of waiting and times of moving forward. And life isn't just red lights and green lights; there are yellow lights in there too. Times to be cautious and prepare for what’s coming next. The last few years for me have been a series of yellow lights and red lights. Times of preparing and redirecting. Some lights lasting longer than others. Now I feel I have reached a red light. The red light that will actually turn green. A red light where I am finally ready to do what God intends but now I must wait until He tells me it’s time. For possibly the first time in my life I am welcoming the coming change with open arms. Ready to see what this next chapter holds. Ready to see where this road will take me. I just need to be patient now and wait for that greatly anticipated green light.

Looking back I now see the importance of all the yellow lights, and even the red lights when I started heading in the wrong direction. They were to prepare me for when the light turns green. So, the next time you’re waiting at a red light, remember that God is controlling the traffic light of your life. Sometimes waiting for the light to turn green can be frustrating, but it will, when the time is right. And sometimes you watch as other peoples lights’ turn green but yours is still red. Be patient. Whatever light you’re on right now is for your safety and is in His control. Your light will turn green soon enough.