Hugs that Matter!!

I grew up at a time, in a place, and with a family, that did not put a high value on emotions, intimacy, touching, connecting, and hugging. I remember when I was a teenager, that something had happened between my Father and myself, and whatever it was, it was a sticking point; see, I had come to the end of myself, and I approached my father on bended-knee to apologize. What I remember today is the feeling of acceptance, the forgiveness, the warmth of the moment, and the embrace that occurred when I came clean and my Dad gave me a hug. That was the first time that I remember feeling close to my Father, and it felt good, it felt right, and I wished that it could last forever, but it did not; I do not remember having a similar experience until sometime later in my Life. Life continued to progress, I grew older, more mature, and wiser, in its own eyes, but I still had not grasped onto the power, the value, and the habit, of the warm embrace. After pulling through a death-defying high speed motorcycle crash in a drunken stupor at 19 years of age, my mother, my father, my brother, and my sisters, wrapped their arms around me in their own unique way; to tell me that it was going to be alright, that there was a new day coming, and that the future would be bright once again.

Hugs hold the power of the sun rising from a distant shore. Just two seconds before, there was no light there; there was no twinkling there, and there were no rays of sunshine gleaming through the trees, but once the gesture is committed to, once the movement is made, and once the embrace is engaged, everything changes. Our brains release their feel-good hormones, especially dopamine, in anticipation of a pleasurable experience; essentially, the moment that we have an inkling of an idea or an anticipation toward enjoying a delicious meal, a fun activity, observing a glorious sunset, or seeing a loved one, our brains are stimulated to release their reward, in the form of hormones, which brings about feelings of pleasure, calmness, and delight. This mechanism is automatic, we don’t even have to think about it, and it is what propels us to seek out more and more of these pleasurable activities; that is to our benefit, to our chagrin, and sometimes to our downfall; but I know of no better way!!

Family, friends, foods, and good times too, are there for our enjoyment, engagement, and complete satisfaction, as long as we do not over-consume; like most everything in LIFE!! Hugs, for better or for worse, may be the answer to a lighter, brighter, and more beautiful future together forever. Hugs add riches to our lives, they don’t cost too much, and they pay out dividends for LIFE!!

Try it, you might like it!!