What is an Authentic Hug?

About a week ago a friend and I were discussing the implications of a hug.  The meaning of a hug.
Is a hug ever just a hug?  What does just a hug mean?  She was of the belief that a hug sometimes, is just a hug, there need not be any meaning behind it.  Since then, I have been contemplating what I believe.

First I remembered that one of the root words of hug is 'hugga' which means 'to console'.  Therefore a hug is something that consoles.  A hug is an act of consolation.  An authentic hug is a hug that has meaning.  A hug that is more than a formality.  A hug that can be felt beyond just physical contact.

When we go about hugging people in our daily lives, sometimes the real meaning, the authentic hug can be lost.  Does every hug make you feel consoled or does it just seem like a mundane hug?  I don't think a hug should ever feel mundane.  I think the purpose of a hug is to create an experience of consolation.  That would mean that in order for a hug to be a hug, there must be specialness to it.  It's something that makes the huggers feel better, feel consoled.

Not every hug may have as much of a meaning as another but when a hug is shared, something special is shared.  We must not forget that, especially people who give lots a hugs, Free Huggers, and huggers in general.  A hug is something special meant to give consolation.  A hug is an experience to remember. Sometimes a hug loses its meaning when we forget the purpose of a hug, take it for granted as a formality.  I would like to challenge you to think about the times where you give someone a hug.  Do you hug authentically?  Do you feel consoled after hugging or are you hugging only as a formality?  A hug is more than just a formality.  A hug is:

Hugs,
David

A Simple Story: A Profound Impact.

June 7,2014

Dear Friend,

Last week we started our journey with the conceptual definition of a hug.  This week I am going to provide a specific hugging story that impacted my life 5 years ago.

            I was walking up and down Michigan Ave giving away free hugs in Chicago.  There was a woman who was sitting outside of the Art Institute of Chicago who opened her arms for a hug.  I walked up to her and we embraced.  As I was walking away, she shouted after me, “Keep it up, You’re saving lives!” Who knew a hug could have so much power?  A simple hug from a stranger impacted her life.  The courage to go out and be vulnerable, to show love to a complete stranger through a hug, impacted her life that day.  Her courage to shout after me that bit of encouragement changed my life forever. 

            It is this moment in time that lives in my mind forever.  It gives me hope and courage when I feel hopeless.  It tells me that I have an impact, even when it seems like I am having no impact.  It shows the power of a hug can impact lives.  I have never seen this person again, I don’t know where she is now but I know that she is the reason that I am who I am today.  We tend to take the power of a hug for granted sometimes, but I just wanted to remind you the power of a hug, the great impact that it can have on a life. 

            I didn’t take this hug for granted.  I saw the power of that hug.  The reflection after the hug helped to bring forth the full impact of that hug.  I hope that you will take a few moments the next time you hug someone, to reflect on that hug, to understand it’s impact on how you are feeling.  That reflection is crucial to the overall hugging experience.  And when you do, be sure to share your story with us here!

Hugs,

David

A Hug Defined.

May 28, 2014

Dear Friend,

Today we embark on a journey; a journey to understand and define a hug.  Let’s get started!

A hug.  What is a hug? The concept seems so simple; two or more people wrapping their arms around each other with affection.  If the concept of a hug is so simple, why aren't there more quality hugs in the world?  Well, there are many different types of hugs.  Each hug has a time, a place, a meaning.  With so much to think about when we give each other hugs, how do we come to a consensus about the specific hug we will share together?   

This is this question in which I find the power of a hug. The power of a hug comes from the know-how of how to hug.  First I must identify the person I hug; then craft a one-of-a-kind embrace specially designed for that specific person, which allows me to give the best hug that I can at that time.  A hug is something that connects people together.  A hug is a display of love for another person that can be felt.  A hug is powerful.  

The hug has a power to grow a friendship.  A hug has the power to heal and restore.  A hug has a special power to show love to someone that I care about.  A hug is the way that I say to someone “I love you for who you are, I love you because you are you.  I love you because you are special, because you are broken, and because you are human.  Nothing will ever change that!”  It’s a way to express what can’t be expressed in words.  It’s a way to accept people for who they are, and that is something special.  A hug is a process of growing and loving other human beings, whether they be in my life for a couple moments, or a life-time.  A hug is a way for me to help better a life that I come into contact with.  That is the impact of a hug for me.

Now that is a rather abstract and conceptual definition of a hug, but who can really define what a hug is?  I tried here, but I think the real impact of a hug is in the stories of specific hugs that are shared between people, specific moments that stay in our minds long after a hug has been shared. It's something that is intangible.  It's something that can't be described, defined, it must be felt, experienced.  One way to experience and feel the power of a hug is to share hugging stories, to take the time to reflect on our hugging experiences and attempt to understand why some of these experiences stick in our minds for the rest of our lives and why other hugging experiences don't.  

            I see this blog post as the beginning of a journey to define and understand the hug.  The first step of this journey is to understand what a hug is.  In order to understand what a hug means to all, I think we have to understand what a hug means to you, to me, to us.  The best way to do this is to share stories of hugs that have impacted our lives.  I have set up a Free Hugs United Facebook page where we can share stories about how specific hugs have impacted our lives.  I encourage you to share an experience of a hug that has stuck in your mind long after the moment of the hug has past.  If you need inspiration, take a look at the stories being shared on the Facebook page, and take a few minutes to reflect.  Then share your hug story! This is the start of our journey together.

Hugs,

David