gimme a hug

when PC was a baby, I used to pray for the day when she would be old enough to run towards me, screaming 'mommy-mommy-mommy' when i'd pick her up from school. the hug that i'd get from her would be the perfect way to erase any of the blips on the Radar Screen of Life that had come my way that day. those days are finally here, and i never tire of seeing her little face light up when i show up at the end of a long day. PC is quite the hugger, and it is her favorite way to show her love & adoration to her family and friends.

i am a proud hugger. physical touch is one of my Love Languages, and i delight in giving and receiving great hugs. inasmuch as i've perfected my firm handshake over the years (and i abhor anything less), i appreciate and cherish the heartwarming and healing power of a warm, enveloping embrace. whether between friends, lovers, family, or even strangers--a hug has the power to uplift, to encourage, to restore, and recharge.

as i've watched 3 friends experience family tragedy over the last few months, my heart has ached. once i got past the initial shock, grief/sadness for them and their families, speechlessness (not knowing what was appropriate to say) and helplessness, i wanted nothing more to reach out and hug them. i was informed of these tragedies via electronic means, so was not immediately able to squeeze a shoulder, or offer a comforting hug, but i've successfully been able to do so for 2 out of the 3 (the 3rd is non-hugger, though i do remember receiving a drunken hug from her on her birthday night, lol). for the 2 that i have hugged, i don't remember if we had ever hugged before these incidents, but on those days that we finally did--we just hugged and hugged and hugged. in some small way, i hope that my being there, offered a sliver of healing, even if for just a brief moment. the simultaneous simplicity & profundity of human touch.

coming from a family where affection was awkward, i didn't really find an outlet for the hugger-in-me until i grew up, had relationships, had a child of my own, and became comfortable expressing love to my friends and ultimately, family members. i've read about and heard from many singles, particularly those that live away from friends/family, that there are sometimes weeks that go by before they receive a hug. i can relate because, prior to PC, most of the time the only hug i would receive would be at church or at Sorority meeting. can you imagine...going days or even weeks without?? i feel blessed to have her on that same vein, but nothing like a good old-fashioned 'grown ppl' hug, even between friends.

i've heard many ppl say 2 things that they wished for, after a loved one dies: 1 more conversation and 1 more hug. with life being snatched out from under us left and right, it is certainly worth it to take the time to give a hug each day--to friends, to loved ones, even to a child who you may not know.

hugs are an antidote to life's many woes and have the power to encourage, restore, uplift, and recharge. why not prescribe one for someone today? you might be the only one that they receive all week...all month...or all year.