I miss hugs.

I miss hugs that say, “Oh, I am delighted to see you!” And hugs that are offered to support and comfort. I often hug when there just aren’t any words. 

Hugging is a language unto itself.

In this season of 6-feet-apart social distancing, however, hugs are ill-advised. As a high-risk person, I would not, should not get physically close. I have found that Zoom and Face Time may offer face-to-face connection, yet something is missing: skin, touch, the ability to read body language, nuanced facial expression, and tone of voice. They just don’t replace having coffee across the table from a friend. And they certainly don’t replace hugs.

Hugging is a language unto itself.

When my girls were little, they loved Charlotte Diamond. I remember attending a concert and standing in an endless line to get the crucial autograph on a program  that probably ended up on the bottom of someone’s closet. Anyway, one of her songs was entitled Four Hugs a Day. 

Four Hugs a Day, that’s the minimum
Four Hugs a Day, not the maximum

In fact, research shows that hugs provide physical and psychological health benefits.

An obvious benefit is a sense of security and increased feelings of connection, trust, and intimacy. Hugs can reduce fears in people prone to anxiety. But hugs also lower blood pressure and reduce the chance of getting sick. 

Touch deactivates a part of the brain that responds to threats, says researcher Michael Murphy, Ph.D. with the Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity, and Disease at Carnegie Mellon University. When you hug, fewer hormones are released to prompt a stress response, and your cardiovascular system experiences less stress.
Good-bye fight or flight.

Hugs are an essential service. So hug those in your social bubble. 

I’ll take a rain check.