Today, according to my west coast brother, is "Hug Holiday Day." Of course I did a little research on this and found this statement "It is known that hugging is good for you. It releases oxytocin, known as the 'cuddle hormone' which can help to strengthen social bonds." From hugging babies to hugging siblings to hugging spouses to hugging friends, it can be a very satisfying experience.
I come from a family of natural huggers. My mother was an excellent hugger and my daughter has inherited that gene from her. When my daughter hugs me it feels like my mother's hug which is weirdly wonderful.
I do need to be careful though. Not everyone appreciates being hugged. I have one granddaughter who refuses to be hugged while her sister and her cousins are eager huggers.
Since I married my spouse a year and a half ago, I have discovered that he and most of his extended family are good and willing huggers. Yay!
Hugging of course is not just limited to family. I remember a funny episode a few years ago. We were walking out of a Christmas Eve service at church when a young man, for whom I had been a mentor when he was younger, gave me a big hug when he saw me. One of my granddaughters was with me, and she was quite astonished that this cute young man had given me a hug. That's one of the really nice things about hugging, there are no age limits.
So don't just sit there reading this. Get up and hug someone. You'll be glad you did.
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