The Art and Necessity of Hugging

I have a friend who, upon our first meeting, leaned into my left side to give me a hug. It was awkward at first, but upon doing so, she immediately gave the reason for it. She explained when you hug someone leaning the opposite direction, your hearts meet in the middle. And that is where the hug heals. 

Amen, Sister! You are so in tune with what we NEED. 

I came across this beautiful Facebook post this morning:

I've had this on my mind lately, because I am discovering the very truth about it. I miss hugs. I'm single. I don't live alone, but I'm very lonely because those I live with have each other, and their lives, and close friends and family. My friends are few. I see my family very seldom. Did I mention they have each other, their lives, close friends and family? 

This necessity in life is why people have dogs! It is why I borrow dogs (I do not have a space of my own, or I most definitely would have a dog of my own). Dogs, cats, even snakes (EEEEEK) fill the hugging void. 

I've long been single, and an empty nester, and I am thinking daily about how lonely that feels. I crave hugs. 

I love it when "the boys" in the office come in from the field covered in dirt and sweat but greet me, office mom, with hugs! I have one good friend, that hugging height puts me in his armpits. But he hugs me tight and long and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy.  And the heart hugs. Oh the heart hugs that I learned from Francesca! 

My favorite hugs? The ones that have my grandkids attached to them and start with a swift run into their grandmother's arms. YES. I love getting those hugs! They are so few and far between. 

Parents, hug your kids. Science says they NEED them for mental and emotional health. (read this article: https://www.yourmodernfamily.com/science-says-hug-child-15-seconds/) 

People, hug your partners. Good day? Bad day? Just a regular day? Hug them. (read this article:  https://www.healthline.com/health/hugging-benefits#1)

Pet People, you know what to do. Its why you have them and I don't even need an article to tell you that. :-) 

Alright, now back to the Facebook post. How long do you spend in a hug? Its the difference between hugging and holding, isn't it? I live most days without either, and want both so badly! It's why the Bible says it's not good for man (or woman) to be alone! We need the healing properties of human touch. 

Take it from someone who rarely experiences even one hug a day. Its usually like two a week. And 20 seconds? Not even close. Before this begins to sound like a pity party, let me tell you about Tom, a homeless man who gets fewer than these. 

I met him downtown Denver. It was FREEZING outside and he was bundled in layers, and dirty-ish of course. I mean, he was homeless. But in one of his pockets, clean and carefully folded were his discharge papers. He was a wounded veteran, suffering from PTSD, who lived near the clinic where he could get his medication so that he would not be dangerous to himself or anyone else. His story is long, and lives in a different place than this, but I was so moved by it, that I asked if I could hug him. His eyes filled with tears and he was so grateful. He told me, "No one hugs us. Its not like we are contagious. We all got here by different means but we didn't do it on purpose. We aren't contagious." I hugged him again.  (Now watch this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_hRDNkoGPc)

I know I've thrown a lot of information into one blog post about something as simple as hugging. 

But that's the point. It's as simple as hugging. Everyone needs them. Give one away today. Or how about 13? It's only 20 seconds out of your day, and guess what? It benefits YOU, too.