Do You Need A Hug?

There is something called "The Free Hug Campaign" which was started by Juan Mann. In Juan's words, this is how the campaign began:

"I'd been living in London when my world turned upside down and I'd had to come home. By the time my plane landed back in Sydney, all I had left was a carry-on bag full of clothes and a world of troubles. No one to welcome me back, no place to call home.

I was a tourist in my hometown. Standing there in the arrivals terminal, watching other passengers meeting their waiting friends and family, with open arms and smiling faces, hugging and laughing together, I wanted someone out there to be waiting for me. To be happy to see me. To smile at me. To hug me.

So I got some cardboard and a marker and made a sign. I found the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and held that sign aloft, with the words "Free Hugs" on both sides.

And for 15 minutes, people just stared right through me. The first person who stopped, tapped me on the shoulder and told me how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. I got down on one knee, we put our arms around each other and when we parted, she was smiling.

Everyone has problems and for sure mine haven't compared. But to see someone who was once frowning, smile even for a moment, is worth it every time."

For me, all it takes is a hug from Mike to make my day better. There's just something about being wrapped in your love's arms that makes everything else just melt away. Maybe it's because we are a perfect fit for each other. Maybe it's because we both have the right amount of squishiness to our bodies that make the hug feel that much better. I don't really care to find the reason why our hugs feel the way they do...I'm content with just knowing they are one of the best feelings in the world.

With regards to the following video, I'll admit that I cried a little, but mostly I smiled. What a wonderful idea. I love the song that accompanies it (and I love the business-type guy around 1:15).