Hugs

"Surprise the world by the way you live .... with love!”  quote by Michael Frost

Did you ever notice when you are going through a time of trial how heavy the whole "thing" is? Then, out of nowhere, some kind person comes along and embraces you in a hug and the whole thing is lifted from you!

Did you notice how the pandemic stopped a lot of hugs? How people felt disassociated from others? How many people felt unloved, unwanted  unneeded, lonely, alone?

"A hug is a form of endearment, universal in most communities, in which two or more people put their arms around the neck, back, or waist of one another and hold each other closely. If more than two people are involved, it may be referred to as a group hug." From Wikipedia

I noticed today how my daughter (who is very loving to start with) hugged a friend she ran into at a street market.  It struck me how much we really need that love and affection - not only from our own family but from others we know!

A hug is a remarkably simple, non-sexual, casual, but important, form of affection and expression. It shows the other person that they actually mean something to someone! You are important, you are loved, you have been missed - even for a short period of time. You are known, recognized, someone remembers you, you mean something to someone! You are cared for - even if only in a small way - but enough to hug!

A friend that I am not even really close to, hugged me today. I felt loved, accepted, important,  remembered (we had not seen each other for a while), and special!

The cool thing is hugs are free! Freely given! Loving! Affectionate! Needed! And give so much! Nothing is required except the physical effort to reach out, open your arms, and receive and offer contact to another human being. To embrace, even if only momentary!

Open your arms and accept, love, console, appreciate, perhaps forgive, welcome, embrace, nurture, receive, recognize, remember, acknowledge, give of yourself to make someone else feel better!

Did you ever feel you should give someone a hug but fell back because you were afraid of being rejected?

Did you ever get an unexpected hug from someone and felt so loved and accepted?

Did you ever get a hug from someone who held you just a little longer - so long you melted into their love and embrace and felt completely whole and loved again? Everything is going to be all right! You did not ask for that loving embrace, but you did receive it - knowing that someone knew it was just what you needed to face life again!

Our friend, Shirley, told me that she is a ‘huggie’ person and it is hard not to hug. You will notice that the pictures attached are of people extending their love and affection for Shirley and Armin at Shirley's retirement get together. (St. Luke's Hall, August 14, 2022)

The writer of Hebrews says: Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds. Hebrews 10: 24

Let us show love to each other. If you feel it is safe to do so, open your arms today and spread the love of God with the affection and acceptance of another human being - hug!

By Barbara Richard