As simple of a gesture as giving someone a hug breaks down barriers and shows affection.
It also brings with it a promise about doing the right thing.
“I hug all my customers,” my friend Nancy proclaimed. “It shows them that I care, that I am vulnerable, and is a promise to do what is in their best interest.”
More than just an icebreaker, as a genuine gesture, a hug shows that we are on the same side, and that differences in opinions don’t necessarily get in the way of meaningful relationships.
In today’s cold digital world, that has the potential to be isolating, a hug can be just what the doctor ordered. In times of celebration or in grief, a hug can create joy or soothe broken hearts. I remember getting the news of my Dad’s passing at an international airport, surrounded by strangers — at that moment all I really needed was a hug, and a shoulder. It just wasn’t there for me that day — the day I needed it the most.
A simple hug may not solve life’s many challenges, but it just might give us the fortitude to deal with those challenges on a daily basis…
…and make us all a little more human.
About Hemant Rustogi