Can I have a hug?
Life gets very hectic, especially when school starts. I may get overwhelmed with the school schedule and the extracurricular activities after school. The constant rushing and hustling begins early in the morning and doesn’t seem to end. I sometimes forget to breathe. I forget to stop and appreciate it all. But my youngest child taught me there is always a time for a hug.
We could be at the door rushing nervously to catch the school bus, but they turn to me for a hug before they leave. And it is not a quick hug, either. It’s a long, warm hug. They won’t leave without giving me one!
We could be grocery shopping before they turn to me and ask for a hug. We could be sitting next to each other at an event when they sweetly ask for a hug and keep holding hands with me.
I could be in the kitchen cooking dinner or feeding the pets when my youngest appears behind me with the question, “Can I have a hug?” How can I refuse that? How can I even postpone it? But sadly, sometimes I used to do. I impatiently said something like “My hands are dirty now,” or “Now is not the right time,” to their disappointed “OOOH.” I thought to myself, it’s not the end of the world if I washed my hands quickly to give them the hug they needed.
They often ask for a hug, and I learned to give that hug and make it count. Not a quick, hurried hug but a long and tight one. One that lasts more than 20 seconds.
They ask for hugs before bed. I used to think they were stalling because they didn’t want to go to bed. Now, I know it means a lot to them.
So, even if I think the time is inappropriate for a hug, I still give it and feel thankful and lucky they even ask me for one.
Thanks to my little one, I learned the benefits of hugs. I now give hugs even if I wasn’t asked for any, which is rare. I give my husband hugs.
Surprisingly, I now feel the need for hugs from time to time. Just long, warm hugs to cheer me up after a tough day. I now understand where they are coming from.
