Throughout this war, I feel
as if I have been walking through a thick cloud of fog. My "slow
uptake "responses to the world around me are due to the fact that my mind
is always barraged by the mundane every day activities, and the reality that a
war is going on at the same exact time.
The fog lifts for brief
moments...time playing with my children, visits with friends, and meeting
someone I have not seen randomly in the supermarket. Yet it is quick to
return its cold, gray head.
The only respite I have found
to lift me from the fog is giving hugs. I know, it is such a simple task,
but I have found myself needing to find comfort in the warm embrace of my
family, my friends, and my own self.
It reminds me of the book
Hug, by Jez Alborough. It is a book about a monkey named Bobo who tries
to explain to his friends that he just needs a hug, but no one understands him.
He tries to explain it to all of the other animals in the jungle, but
they do not know what he wants. Bobo becomes very frustrated until his request
is finally recognized by all and he is given the world's biggest hug.
Bobo is happy as can be, and he is ensconced in the love of his jungle
friends, and his family.
Scientists have proven that
hugs lower one's blood pressure, lower stress hormones (cortisol), and increase
social connections between individuals. It has also been proven that
couples who hug more often have a higher percentage of staying together as a
couple.
Hugs are such a simple form
of contact. The warm hug of a friend or loved one in a time of happiness
or sadness can truly uplift one's spirits and calm one's soul. I venture
to say that hugs, due to the contact of one body to another, connect a soul
more readily than the typical "air kiss" gesture friends usually
greet each other with in today's modern world. A hug connects to another,
heart touching heart, and soul to soul.
My husband's rabbi, Rav
Mordechai Twerski, originally from Denver, Colorado, was nick-named the
Hugachover Rebbe. Why? He always greeted his congregants with huge bear
hugs. Often the hugs would last more than a minute. When the hug
was released, both said huggers would be grinning from ear to ear. The
sheer power of embrace was a powerful gift towards a happy soul.
So, I
propose to all during this Operation Protective Edge to simply give someone a
hug. A family member, a friend, a neighbor...all could use a hug.
And, do not skimp on that hug. Hold him/her tight for more than a
few seconds. Do not be embarrassed to let it
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