Trending
I am a sucker for a proper hug. You know the kind. It's a hug that leaves an impression on the giver and receiver long after it's over.
I didn't grow up in a huge hugging family, but we showed each other love in simple ways just as well. Maybe you held hands as you crossed the street and made sure the little brother or sister walked on the sidewalk for safety's sake.
Or when your own child awoke with a bad dream, you comforted them with a lullaby or read them a story until they fell back to sleep.
Sometimes love comes in the form of someone's favorite cookies you baked together. Maybe it isw saving the last piece of pie for the one you knew loved it most.
During the height of COVID, when hugging or even handshaking were all but lost, life was sad for so many of us who enjoyed a good embrace. Now that the fear of such practices has subsided, there are still cautions to be taken.
You can tell a lot about a person by the physical touch they give or take. In some countries, bowing was preferred over an actual embrace. Eskimos were known for rubbing noses as a sign of affection while some Europeans took to kissing both cheeks.
We Americans seem to relate to the good, old-fashioned arms around one another embrace. How long you hold the embrace depends on the circumstances.
For instance, meeting your long-lost child or best friend after years apart requires some extended hugging.
Have you ever witnessed the military personnel who surprise their loved ones after a long stint in the service? The Internet is full of clips of such reunions.
And what I have observed in all of these reunions is the intensity in which a parent hugs his or her returning soldier. There is a special way in which a parent embraces his or her child.
When arms are wrapped tightly around a son or daughter, the parent's hand will often cradle their child's head as well.
It makes me cry every time I see that happen. The invincible bond between parent and child rests in the space between that hug.
It is sacred.
Valentine's Day, that specific day set aside for expressing love for one another, is just days aways. There will be many tokens and gestures of love exchanged on that day. And no matter what you do to express your affection, don't forget the power of a simple hug.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.