[Seek] Hugs

We are a family of cuddlers. I love that physical affection isn't alien to my children. They hug each other. They hug their friends. The two youngest kiss and hug Jim and I goodnight every night. Our children cuddle with each other. The two youngest cuddle with me, especially on my bad days when I'm binge-watching Harry Potter.

The other day, my fourteen year old and I snuck out to the movies together. I could tell when Coren was a bit scared during the movie, because he would snuggle in closer in the movie theater double recliner. He's also spent the better part of the past few evenings cuddling with me and watching Survivor.

Running errands with Haley and Alia, who have been two peas in a pod basically since Alia was born, I noticed they were holding hands. I couldn't help but take a picture, as it warmed my heart on a day I was struggling.

These days, children and teens are often told to refrain from touching each other in school and in society. Teachers are discouraged from touching students. I teach theater type classes at our homeschool co-op and we do exercises that require students to touch each other. Students who have recently left school to homeschool usually seem much more uncomfortable with this than life-long homeschoolers, who are more seldom subjected to limits on physical interactions. 

Kissing or hugging a parent is weird. Siblings showing affection to each other is abnormal.

But it's not. People need affection, touch, respecting others' personal boundaries and practicing consent, of course. 

One hug can change a person's attitude, their day, their life. How many times have you received a hug and felt with your entire being that you really needed that?

Hug people today. People you love, people who do nice things for you, people with whom you're having a disagreement, your children, your mom, your dad ... not just when someone deserves a hug, but especially when they might not deserve one. That may be exactly when they need one.