You know those hugs you get when you see someone you haven't seen in a long time? Where neither of you wants to let go and both of you most likely sigh really big in the middle of it?
I've had about 20 of those in the last 4 days. (Vacations home rock.)
And for whatever reason, I've been reading about Asberger's (Jodi Picoult's House Rules) and just watched Temple Grandin (about a woman with Autism) and both of them referenced the power of hug like pressure to calm and soothe frayed nerves. But most on the autism spectrum don't like human touch. In Jacob's case (in the book), he also loves sleeping underneath weighted blankets. Temple creates a mechanism that actually squeezes her sides to simulate a hug because she cannot tolerate human touch.
I believe in the power of hugs to heal. Wrapped in someone's arms, the world melts away for just a minute and the tension in your body is somehow less, like you've been holding your breath and are just now releasing it.
Go give someone a hug. It's a great giving AND receiving action. Everyone wins with a hug.
(Photo from
Free Hugs Campaign. AWESOME.)
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