Hugs

Until a couple of days ago, I was not aware that there was such a thing as a National Hugging Day, but considering the number of things that we celebrate, hugs very well deserve their own day.

I believe that hugging is something we carry in our DNA. It must remit us to the way we were cuddled from the moment of birth and it is something that we continue to do throughout our life because it is essential to our emotional health.

Children hug everything they love: their parents, their cuddly toys, teddy bears, their comfort blankets, other children, their pets. It is the simplest and most complete way of showing our affection and tenderness. To hold someone in our arms allows us to express our joy when we meet someone again, our happiness when we congratulate someone, our comfort when we console someone in pain, our encouragement for someone who is feeling glum.

During these days of pandemic and the consequent isolation, we have spent too much time without being able to hug those we love and it has been hard to see each other while maintaining the “safe distances”. However, as with everything else, this too shall pass, and the day when we can hold each other tightly will come again.

Meanwhile, I’m sending a virtual hug to all who read this post, hoping that life returns to normal as soon as possible and we can all have a hugging feast!

Happy Hugging Day! (Albeit a little bit late)