National Hug Day - Amy

Today is National Hug Day so I thought I would write about that. Some people don’t like hugs or any physical contact with somebody else because of various reasons. Some people find it really uncomfortable. One of my friends is on the autistic spectrum and she doesn’t like any form of physical contact with people who she doesn’t know well and trust.  She only feels comfortable hugging a small number of people. Some people have had bad or even traumatic experiences of physical contact, so they are not able to trust others or cope with the feeling of being touched. Some people also have chronic pain conditions which makes things like hugging very painful. 

Other people are completely at the other end of the scale. Some people are very tactile, they thrive on physical contact with others and feel comfortable walking up to a complete stranger and hugging them at New Year. 

For me, I wouldn’t walk up to a complete stranger and hug them, but if they seem trustworthy I feel fine if they come and give me a quick hug and some kind of celebration, or if somebody saw me upset.  Hugging people is an important part of my life. I always hug my close friends as we are saying goodbye. There are quite a few of us in the group, so this takes a while! But I always feel really guilty if one person accidentally gets missed. Which does happen occasionally. I find hugging is a symbol of caring. Even the strangers at New Year, in that moment, everybody cares that we are all happy and having fun. Friends and family hug because they care. If somebody hugs me because I’m down or upset, it’s because they care. And I hug people when I care. 

I would absolutely hate a world where there was no hugging. 

Then there’s cuddles. Is a hug the same as a cuddle? Or is it different? To me a hug is fairly quick, and a cuddle is when you are sat next to each other and lasts quite a while. To me a proper cuddle is tight, strong and it makes you feel safe and protected. Every so often I really need a proper cuddle. Even if there is nothing wrong with me, every so often I just need that big tight cuddle and the feeling of being protected. I have recently found somebody who is perfect for that job and I absolutely love it. As well as me being the one feeling protected I do like to be the one who makes somebody else feel that way. 

For me cuddles and hugs are one of the best things in the world.