Do you remember this video?
I was watching it again today and was reminded of how important this kind of contact is, how crucial it is to our happiness as the social creatures we are.
Think about it. When babies are developing in the womb they’re in a pretty snug and comfortable place, and every part of their body surrounded by a piece of their mother. Our skin, which is in fact a giant sensory organ, is extremely sensitive to touch… and as infants we develop our sense of touch very quickly. Don’t infants recognize their mothers by touch too?
Which brings me to my question. Are you a hugger? I’m a hugger. I love to hug my kids. But this morning, as I walked into a warm farewell-see-you-after-school hug I wondered:
- who will be the first person to pull away from this hug?
- how long will the hug last if I’m not the person who pulls away?
And so I hugged. And hugged. And enjoyed the moment for the lovely thing it was. I didn’t count how long the hug lasted, but I tell ya, it was a LO-O-O-NG hug. And so nice to have it last longer than a few heartbeats. So nice I didn’t pull away and interrupt it with something like: “and don’t forget to return your library book.”
The moment was just about the hug.
We are always so rushed in the mornings. How can we pack off kids to school all day and not send them away with a long warm hug that will last them the whole day?
How about you try it out with the people you love this week too? Try hugging your spouse or your kids a little longer and see what happens. I dare you. :)
