Sunday, June 17, 2007

free hugs

If you spend anytime on YouTube, then you have probably seen Free Hugs, one the all-time most viewed videos. . .



Anyway, I showed it to my kids today and before I knew it they were out in the garage making "Free Hugs" signs and asking us if we'd take them downtown. I said, "Not today." So they promptly went out to the curb and started waving down cars and strangers for free hugs.

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It works! Some ignored. Some stared. Most smiled and 10 hugged. Lemonade stands to honk signs to hug signs. What will they come up with next?

We asked the kids around the dinner table, "Why does this work?" We had a great discussion about the universal need for love and for touch. . . how everybody is hurting and carries with them pain of one sort or another. We all need hugs!

3 comments:

Jacquelyn said...

Sharron E. is a great hugger, but if you ever need a good pat on the arm, I'm there! I guess the way I was raised led me to believe that hugs were for spouses,
children (your own children mostly), and elderly relatives.

I guess I need to start reaching out to others with love (even thought it makes me so uncomfortable)

Jeannett said...

Hugs are a funny thing. I used to be a free hugger...giving them away like nothing else. But then I was friends with a girl in college, who really didnt like to be touched, so I quit hugging because I saw how uncomfortable it made her...and I now find myself not hugging ANYONE. And it makes me sad. I miss hugging people without thinking about it. :(

Brianna Heldt said...

Okay how cute are those kids of yours?! What a sweet idea.

I'm not good at initiating hugs, but I'll take one! Jeannett I never took you as a "free hugger", interesting. Maybe you should start up again!

(Tim, your girls always just blow me away with how sweet they are with my kids.)