The hug

To hug: to comfort, to understand, to empathize, to realize, to offer. The act of hugging is one of the most sacred interactions one can have with another being. It exposes the full vulnerability of both, or all, involved, and expresses the trust each one has for the other(s). It is not an act to be taken lightly. The hug is an act of culmination, or of initiation. It is a commitment. It is an offer, a request and at the same time a payment, free of obligation, devoid of debt, paid to fulfill a request for comfort, spoken or unspoken, conscious or subconscious. It expresses dependence. It is a symbol of relationship, momentary or long term, a symbol of love, agape, phileo, or eros, or all of the above. A single hug can change the course of a life, the power involved is extraordinary and as a wise man once said “with great power comes great responsibility.” In a hug is the potential to create or destroy, enlighten or depress. So take not this act lightly, but treat it with the casual reverence it deserves. Don’t let the hug be destroyed by these considerations, but do not give a hug without taking into account its potential, its power. Revere it, cherish it and take it not for granted.