*HUGS*
It's wondrous what a hug can do.
A hug can cheer you when you're blue.
A hug can say, "I love you so,"
Or, "Gee! I hate to see you go."
A hug is, "Welcome back again!"
And, "Great to see you!” or “Where've you been?"
A hug can soothe a small child’s pain,
And bring a rainbow after rain.
The hug! There's just no doubt about it.
We scarcely could survive without it!
A hug delights and warms and charms.
It must be why God gave us arms.
Hugs are great for fathers and mothers.
Sweet for sisters, swell for brothers.
And chances are some favorite aunts
Love them more than potted plants.
Kittens crave them. Puppies love them.
Heads of state are not above them.
A hug can break the language barrier,
And make the dullest day seem merrier.
No need to fret about your store of 'em,
The more you give,
The more there are of ‘em.
So stretch those arms without delay
And give someone a hug today.
~Author Unknown~
I have an old, battered photocopy of that poem taped to one of the doorways in our house. I absolutely love it, because it’s a good reminder that hugs are important.
I was thinking about hugs recently when I had the happy occasion to get half a dozen or so within a very short time frame as we were saying goodbye to some friends. A long time ago, a good friend of mine was insistent that 7.2 hugs per day, on average, was the ideal number of hugs.
(No wonder so many people are cranky. They aren’t getting 7.2 hugs per day!)
It was fabulous.
There’s something simply wonderful about a really good hug.
And, naturally, because I’m me, I started wondering about hugs & health.
Hugs boost oxytocin levels, leading to decreased feelings of loneliness and anger. An extended hug can increase serotonin levels and make your mood better, increasing your happiness. Hugs relax muscles and release tension in the body. Hugs can decrease your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Frequent hugs can potentially decrease your susceptibility to catching a cold or decrease your symptoms if you have one.
Sometimes, I’ll stop my husband as he’s walking through the house because I need a hug. I don’t even need to be in a bad or a sad mood; I might just need a hug to generally feel better. It always, always works.
Mood lifter. Health improver. All in one simple action! That’s a pretty darn good deal.
Cheers! Here’s to your health!