As I chatted with a female co-worker the other day,
she talked about the stress of her day and said, “I need a hug.” Being the jokester (and good friend) that I
am, I held my arms open and she got out of her chair and we exchanged a brief
hug. And it hit me – I haven’t had a
full-body hug in a long time.
I like hugs. I
hug my family and some of my friends (a few are non-huggers). Pretty much all the people I hug come up to
my shoulders, therefore I give "squatty" hugs with no body contact except for the
arms. Or side hugs. Otherwise, my chest would be in their
face. Which would be weird.
Hugs provide numerous benefits. They convey affection. They offer comfort. We use them in celebration.
According to an article in U.S. News & World
Report, hugs can provide several health benefits. People who hug have a perceived greater
social support and are less likely to get sick.
Hugging also reduces stress due to the release of oxytocin into the bloodstream. Benefits
of Hugging from US News Feb. 3, 2016
It’s no secret I prefer dating tall men. Why? Partly
because I don’t want to bend over to hug a man.
I don’t like the feeling of not having that full physical contact with a
man.
I came across the photo of Dustin Hoffman and I saw
myself in the dark-haired woman he’s dancing with. (Although he’s not that much shorter than her.
I would actually be ok with that height comparison.)
Some might argue that I’m missing all physical contact since I’m currently not hugging anyone. Touché.
I’ll take my chances. Somewhere
out there a tall man has the same complaints I do about hugging. When we find each other, we'll come together with open arms.
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