remember how much i love hugs? today we are going to talk about how to give a proper hug.
people tell me i'm a good hugger. in fact, i saw an acquaintance on new year's eve and when i was re-introducing myself (or more accurately putting myself in context) he actually said something like, "i remember. we've met quite a few times... good hugger." well if that doesn't just make my heart smile i don't know what does.
the point is. i only love good hugs, not the dumb ones. let me tell you what makes a good hug.
good hugs are a full body effort. they require two arms to be wrapped around another person. you should actually feel the other person. you may even use your hands and rub their back a little or give them a little squeeze. none of this one-armed not even facing each other nonsense.
good hugs (or as a friend of mine once referred to them: slutty hugs) do not involve your rear end sticking out. you should be front to front. i don't care if this is a boy/girl hug, and i do not care whose boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or wife it is. seriously. get it together people - we can give good hugs that have no sexual implications.
finally good hugs last longer than a few seconds. you hear all the time that hugs should last twenty seconds to receive the maximum calming benefit (oxytocin in the blood and all that), and while twenty seconds might be pushing the average non-couple or non-bff's comfort zone, surely we can all agree that while giving a hug is not the right time to be in a hurry.
i'm sure there are more things i could share that make up a good hug. however, these are the basics, and let's be honest, i can't give away all my secrets.
happy hugging!
