i thought today was a blogless day. a day without writing. i thought today was a day without the joy and tranquility that envelop me when i write. and then an amazing woman over at www.thedevalife.com posted a quote about hugging as good medicine. i agree. there is nothing like a hug to make you feel like you matter.
hugging. writing is one of the ways that i give myself hugs. i didn't grow up with hugs. it wasn't a normal part of my life. hugs were things that you got when you saw someone you hadn't seen in a long time. they weren't an everyday event.
“A hug is the perfect gift- one size fits all and nobody minds if you exchange it. ” ― Irvin Ball
so i spent my life finding hugs through other sources. and now, i spend my life seeking out hugs from the people who matter to me. because there is NOTHING more soothing, loving, calming, or wonderful as a hug.
“He tells me I look as if I could use a hug and i laugh at him and he ignores me and steps forward and puts his arms around me and hugs me. I warm at the simple pleasure of human contact and for the first time in a long time i actually feel good.” ― James Frey
human contact. we are hardwired to need contact with other humans. i have been watching children lately. watching how they need to physically connect to the adults in their lives. today at D&N's concert, i watched as a little girl held her mother's hand and kissed it, and the mother put her arm around her daughter as they sat watching the show. and i wondered about my own childhood and how that act of hand-kissing would have been received. not that i would ever have dreamed of doing such a thing. but would i have received a hug if i had asked for one? my child will receive a hundred hugs a day. just saying.
“One day, someone is going to hug you so tight that all your broken pieces will stick back together.” ― Anonymous
the simple act of a hug can be healing. a hug reaches inside of you and touches the spaces that hide from the light. a hug communicates so much without words. the act of hugging tells someone that they matter, that they are worth connection with.
“She grabbed me in a hug so ferocious, the love reached clean to my bones.”
clean to my bones. clean to my soul. hugs reach inside of us and warm our hearts because that kind of touch releases oxytocin, a hormone that is a neurotransmitter in the brain. it facilitates bonding, and it reduces cortisol, the stress hormone.
not everyone is a hugger. there are many people in my life who i love but don't hug. because invading someone's space is worse than not hugging them.
“When I met Millie, she was a hugger. She hugged over everything. I didn’t. We came to an agreement that hugs are reserved for prolonged partings and death. That’s it. At least, I thought that was our agreement. It seems like she’s figured out how to steal hugs more frequently. Millie’s turned into a hit and run hugger.”
a "hit and run hugger" ... i love that. finding ways to hug people without actually hugging them is my goal in life. hugs through music, conversation, little gifts, and helping.
if you haven't had your daily dose of hugs, it's time to seek one out. i have decided that asking for hugs is the most important thing that i can do for myself. a good, tight hug is better than any other medicine. try it.
be kind to yourself,
click here for a hugging kind of a song from A.S.
xoxo
...
No comments:
Post a Comment