Isn’t it amazing we have to be told to actually be conscious of being kind to others. There are so many things we take for granted in this grand life we live. I am so grateful we are doing this challenge together, especially since we are all doing it as a group.
Being kind is so much more fun than not taking the opportunity to do something positive. I know in my life there have been times in the past I’ve thought of hugging someone or praising someone and thought at the same time it was inappropriate.
Being kind has no appropriateness!! The sad thing is we buy into that, and I am excited there are so many of us joining Marky and his tribe to make the world a better place to not only live but be.
I am challenging myself to continue to go over the top, to be an overachiever in this area. I will say I’ve been a hugger the better part of my later years lately. I love to hug and even more than that I love to receive hugs. But you know what? I so enjoy it when someone hugs me, and they don’t just thump me on the back like a puppy.
In Florida there is a Pastor of a church I attended, and his wife would hug you and not let go. She would hold on to people until… You know… Until. It is such a great and wonderful feeling when it is apparent someone really cares. I now hug many people that way and have been doing it for some time now. No, it’s not always appropriate.
And yes, I can tell when someone really really needs a big, monster, bodacious hug that will truly carry them though the next while. So, my friends, try it. There are people when you hug them, a hug/thump is fitting.
And there are people who are hurting or troubled and that extra few seconds or longer… well, you just never know what it is doing. I can tell you this tho… It really does make a difference. You are rare and there is value in rarity, therefore, you are valuable and there are no uncommon people. CIAO for now.
Patti, you are spot on! The hugs didn’t stop this week, they just kept coming. We went into a diner, hugged a couple of people, and before you know it, we had about the whole place in a great big hug. I know it made my day, and I’m sure it made their day as well.
More hugging…until!
Loved, loved, loved your blog Patti! Thanks for writing a blog dedicated kindness and how important a hug can be and when different types of hugs are appropriate.
I love being hugged, especially since my Love Language is Physical Touch. When I was a preteen my home church had 6 greeters that would hug everyone that entered the church doors. It was next to impossible to enter the church and not get hugged. When we moved to Vancouver Island my new home church did not hug people. Most of the congregation were older English and Germans and it wasn’t part of their culture to hug. One lady asked me if there was anything the church could do to make me feel more at home. I told her, “I miss being hugged!” From that day onward, the church learned to be a hugging church.
I’ve never had problems hugging complete strangers. Both my parents had no problems hugging complete strangers so to me, it was normal. I’m grateful my hubby isn’t jealous if I hug people, especially other guys. I remember when the world changed and we were forbidden to touch other people, never mind hug them. I wondered if I’d be allowed to ever hug other people besides my hubby and Dad. I can still remember the first time someone hugged me that wasn’t a family member. I wanted to cry!
I’m glad that hugging people has returned and is once again part of our culture.
Loved reading this Patti. Yes it is strange we need to be encouraged but it is beautiful when we share a hug just because we can. Like you say we may not know what it meant but it does make a difference.