Interpretation of A Hug

     Hug. A funny sounding word. It is short, pudgy, primitive and comes out mimicking an animalistic grunt when you say it. Guttural. Hug. H-U-G.
     Merriam Webster defines it as "to press tightly. to hold. to cherish."
     And that is exactly what we give when we hug. That primal need to be cared about, to be soothed, to be embraced, acknowledged and loved. To know that you make a difference in someones life or they in yours.

     A baby gets lots of hugs. And when they first hang on to you, that hug goes straight to your heart. A little tiny human being giving back to you a very primary need. A hug can feed your soul.
    A romantic hug. The first "I really care about you" embrace will send your spirits soaring. Do you remember that feeling? It feels so warm and fulfilling. That hug can be an indicator of a realtionship changing. If you look back and think about the hugs in your life, I know you will look at embraces both given and received, more closely from now on.
    What kind of hugger are you? Do you give a cursory, going through the motions hug?  Limp arms with a tap-tapping on the back? Why bother giving emptiness to another person? People don't need more of nothing. It's an empty feeling to receive that kind of embrace. Or does your hug come from someplace inside you with the intention of showing the person you are hugging that you really care about them? A hug is a wordless way to define a relationship,  more revealing than words can be. It's hard to fake a genuine hug. I know as I've gotten older my hugs are longer, stronger and more frequent. A hug can change your whole day. Sometimes we know the hug we give might be the last one shared, or one of too few received..
    A firm and warm embrace. Think about when you are meeting someone. Does the leaving hug get more sincere and meaningful than the first coming together hug?
    A hug can be comforting in times of stress, loss, sadness and confusion. A hug can be loving and energetic and uplifting. A hug can be an indicator of a person's ability to express or accept intimate feelings. Someone once said, "Don't be the first one to stop hugging". Let the other person be the one who stops hugging, and they will, when they have filled up on the wonderfulness of your hug.
     So the next time you hold someone close, fill up their hug tank and make them realize that you really, really mean it.