What is a Hug?

 "Squeeze tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection."

It's quite possible that hugs are one of the most forgotten things that humans are capable of doing.  Hugs are a gift that we can give, at no cost, which represent our most warm and vulnerable parts of us.  

I remember my friend Ronnie, who I lost many years ago, who really taught me that we should truly love our friends.  He used to greet me every time I saw him, with a hug.  As a twenty-something male who wanted to be masculine and cool, it was a little weird at first.  And yet, it became something I was able to understand.  His hugs told me that he was happy to see me, he loved me, and how he felt transcended anything that was normal macho.

I remember the time at Disney World.  It was our last time taking Tyler with us and I knew it.  Tyler had become too complicated to travel so extensively with, and I was becoming too worn down to pull it off.  One day we were at Epcot and had a pass to do a visit with Mickey Mouse.  We took some terrific pictures as a family, including my inlaws, As we exited, Mickey came over to me and offered me a hug,  This was no ordinary hug.  This was the hug of a person who was sending a message of love and encouragement.  I will never forget the meaning behind that embrace.

I remember my grandfather-in-law John who may have never hugged another man in his life.  But being someone that I was around for so many years, and had come to respect, I attempted to show him some affection.  I would hug him, or even give him a kiss on the cheek.  At first it seemed very foreign to him, but he never totally resisted the idea.  By the time he became significantly older, he was actually used to a little friendly affection, and a few other people were able to show him love as well.  

Along the same lines, I've been able to be much more expressive with my inlaws as well.  We have all been able to learn, through our many experiences and challenges, that hugging one another and telling one another how important they are, makes our lives better.  Its like an antibody against the negative viruses the world attempts to throw at us.  

It sounds like such a dumb thing.  Hugging your friends and your family can be the most memorable and impactful thing that you can do.  In that brief few seconds you are literally giving yourself to another person.  You are releasing love and support without saying a single word.  Its like a transfer of positive energy and strength.  

 Challenge yourself to hug your friends.  Even if they may find it awkward, hug your friends.  COVID has taken so much personal contact away from us, social media has eroded so much personal contact, and our own anxieties have backed us away from others, to the point that we have forgotten the importance of simple affectionate gestures.  Your willingness to openly love someone may give them that moment that changes their own approach to others forever.  

Be well and God bless.   Tom