Hug Someone You Love Today: And the Simple Certainties of Life
116
Hug Someone You Love Today: And the Simple Certainties of Life
116eBook
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781490785011 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Trafford Publishing |
| Publication date: | 10/11/2017 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 116 |
| File size: | 652 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
What's the Deal with Hugs Anyway?
According to Wikipedia, this is the definition of a hug. "A hug is a form of physical intimacy, universal in human communities, in which two or more people put their arms around the neck, back, or waist of one another and hold each other closely. If more than two persons are involved, this is informally referred to as a group hug."
Hugging is the most beautiful form of communication that allows the other person to know beyond a doubt that they matter.
The root meaning of the word hug is unknown, but two beliefs exist. The first is that the verb "hug", might be associated with the Old Norse word "hugga", which meant to comfort. The second is that the word is linked to the German word "hegen", which means to cherish.
Regardless of the origins mentioned above, hugging has been confirmed over the years to have an array of physical and mental health benefits. Study after study has shown that hugs reduce blood pressure and increase levels of oxytocin. Could a hug a day keep the doctor away? – you bet your apples it can.
Throughout this book, you will find wonderful, heart-warming hug stories to help enlighten your day and to reinforce the value of a hug. Sometimes in life, you just need a HUG. No words, no advice, just a hug to make you feel better. I challenge each of you (and myself) to use your personal empowerment to make a positive difference in life and to become a HUGGER!
Research shows that hugging is extremely effective at curing disease, sickness, depression, loneliness, anxiety, and stress, etc.
"Don't count the days, make the days count." ~Muhammad Ali
CHAPTER 2
A Train Ride to Happiness
In April of 1987, I hopped on a train in East Africa bound for Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania. I had been given a sleeping cabin with two other women and three small children. It was hot, humid, and overcrowded, but as Bob Barker would say, "the price was right".
It had only been a few days since I said goodbye to Wayne, my lover and traveling companion. Wayne was a New Zealander and I was a Canadian whose traveling itineraries crossed paths in Turkey. We became inseparable for the next eight months traveling throughout Europe, and with plans to explore Africa together.
In Nairobi, Wayne was hospitalized with malaria. The illness and the condition of the hospital were daunting him, and he wanted to leave Africa early. To this day, I don't know why I said: "No" when he asked me to accompany him back to New Zealand. Perhaps it was the fear of commitment or a belief that I didn't deserve his love. Either way, I found myself traveling solo once again.
Not long into the ride, the train unexpectedly slowed down and came to a complete stop. I would have asked my cabin mates if they knew what was going on, but my knowledge of the Swahili language was very limited. I simply stared out the window guessing as to what could possibly be wrong.
We soon realized that something was wrong. Slowly dozens of passengers wondered off the train in the hot, dry desert. Exhausted and feeling nauseous, I only made it as far as the landing steps and slumped down on the top stair.
As I starred off into the empty abyss, my whole being was suddenly consumed with an overwhelming feeling of regret, sadness, and emptiness. I realized right then that I had never felt such a high-degree of loneliness combined with self-pity in my entire life. I was paralyzed with grief and a longing to be back with my dear Wayne.
Then a miracle happened. Two young African children approached me. Their dark, curious eyes gazed at my pale skin and their little hands reached out to touch my bare arms. They stroked my skin with such care and gentleness that I responded with a hug. As I held these desert angels in my arms, I felt my spirit restored. Joy and relief filled my being once again and I didn't feel alone anymore.
Trudi d'Ambrumenil Sunshine Coast of British Columbia
"The only journey is the journey within." ~Rainer Maria Rilke
CHAPTER 3
Random Hugs of Kindness
I come from a very huggy family. Years ago, I was at the check-out line at our local grocery store and the woman behind me was fumbling with her items. I helped her put some things on the conveyor belt and she thanked me and then apologized. She said, "I guess I'm not myself today. My mother died." I told her there was no need to apologize and I replied. "I'm so sorry for your loss." And I hugged her. I felt her take a deep breath and relax into my arms. The whole thing didn't last very long, but I know she left a little lighter.
More recently, I attended a Jerry Stocking Seminar. He sent us on a scavenger hunt. There were a lot of things on the list (get on the radio or TV, buy a pair of shoes for under $5 and get a discount and find someone to give them to, get a free lunch somewhere, go to a senior citizen's center and sing a song, etc., all while staying in contact with a partner). On the list was also to give a hug to a man and a woman you didn't know.
We started off by checking our items off the list, but eventually we were just hugging everyone! The first was an undertaker at a funeral home. Everyone was very receptive and we left a lot of smiles along the way- waitresses, check-out clerks, and other shoppers in the stores. We hugged them all.
I will add that when I wrote about the woman in the checkout line, whose mother had died the day before, my own mother was alive and well. She finally retired at 78 and went on International Habitat for Humanity builds and lived a very active, atypical life for her age.
In November 2015, at the age of 82, she was in a car accident and died from her injuries ten days later. I now know, if you are lucky enough to have a mother you love, how devastating a loss it is. It is like no other. Going out into public was especially hard because I would look around in a daze and think, "How can people be acting so normal?" because my whole world has fallen apart. I felt like I had been tossed in the ocean and the tiniest act of kindness was enough to keep my head above water for another day. I burst into tears in front of a bank teller who had the misfortune of saying a standard "How are you?" I don't remember if she said anything, but she handed me a tissue, a hug, and it was enough to get me through that day.
Hali Chambers Virginia, USA
"Life's not about waiting for the storms to pass, it's about dancing in the rain." ~Vivian Greene
CHAPTER 4
Hugged by an Angel
I was in a local hospital transporting a friend to an appointment. As I waited in the cafeteria with a cup of tea, I saw a tiny, grey haired woman with a big smile and bright eyes. She approached my table and asked if she could join me.
Linda was a former executive secretary, who had a job in the days when most women were not able to work outside the home. She'd battled breast cancer 10 years ago and now it was back with a vengeance.
Linda told me her story of challenge and triumph over illness, poverty, and faith. I was astounded by her positive attitude and knew she was giving me a gift by sharing her story.
When I hugged her goodbye, she said," I'll see you in Heaven if I don't see you here again on this earth." I think I hugged an angel that day.
Lynne Klippel Cuenca, Ecuador
"Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth unseen, while awake and asleep." ~John Milton
CHAPTER 5
Sherry the PSW
After ten years of caring for my mother in my home, it was time to move her into a Long -Term Care Facility in our town. I could no longer give her the care she needed. She just turned 90, and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do.
About the third day of getting her settled into her new room, a very caring PSW saw how troubled I was with my concern of not knowing if I did the right thing or how she was going to get along there with her minimal English-speaking skills. You see I always did everything for her. I often wondered would she be ok?
As my eyes filled up and I was about to cry, Sherry the PSW looked at me and said, "Do you need a hug?" and she gave me one. She really made me feel better about leaving my Mom in their very capable hands. If you need a hug, take one, and please don't hesitate to give one. A hug can go a long way.
Frances Marcovecchio Ruthven, Ontario
"The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." ~Voltaire
CHAPTER 6
Twice That Many Hugs Per Day
I am a senior aged parent, retired educator, social services worker and pre-school administrator. I appreciate the understanding and compassion for kids that need the human contact of a hug, especially when they seem to act in unhuggable, difficult behaviors.
I loved to hold, cuddle and hug my children. My oldest son as an adult became a man standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall. My second son as an adulthood stands at 6 feet 2 inches, and the youngest stands as a woman at 5 feet 7 inches tall. I on the other hand, am 5 feet and their dad was 5 feet 4 inches tall.
The oldest son was teased during his teenage years about his height and the size of his feet. One afternoon he was at home with his buddy who was two years older, but considerably shorter, and together we heard an interview piece on the radio that stated one or two hugs per day is considered maintenance to growth. For maximum growth, a child needs 11 hugs per day. Immediately our visiting buddy blurted out, "OMG you must have twice that many hugs per day", to which we all shared a good laugh.
Another item I would like to pass along;
Launched in Nova Scotia in May 2013, was a HUGS Program of Awareness for fundraising for Mental Health. Anyone could text 'HUGS' to 45678 and $5.00 would be billed to the caller's mobile provider.
Steven & Anna B. Weagle
"Courage and confidence in your abilities will carry you to greater heights." ~Lailah Gifty Akita
CHAPTER 7
Between Gramma and her Grandkids
For the past 23 years, as I entered the homes of my grandchildren, all I had to do was say "HI" and four little-excited bodies came running full tilt into my arms, saying the one word that means all the world to me, "GRAMMA".
There are no words for this kind of reception. These precious HUGS have continued to this day and one child who I have bonded with a bit more because of our love of the farm and nature, he has always stayed outside on the step knowing I was coming, and he wanted to be the first to give that big GRAMMA HUG. He does this to this day.
HUGS and more HUGS have given this Gramma the joys that fill her heart.
"A grandmother remembers all of your accomplishments and forgets all of your mistakes." ~Barbara Cage
CHAPTER 8
A Taxi Driver's Kindness
An unknown taxi driver picks up an elderly lady, gets her sitting comfortably and asks where she wants to go. She quietly tells him she was going to the hospital, that she had not long to live.
He gently shuts off the meter, and drives her all around the city so she could remember all the lovely sights one more time. As he drops her off, an attendant quickly comes for her. The taxi driver grabs her bags, bends down and gives her a huge HUG. He will always remember her gentleness and that last special HUG.
"It's not true that nice guys finish last. Nice guys are winners before the game even starts." ~Addison Walker
CHAPTER 9
Chocolate Kisses
I live an hour from the world's finest chocolate factory in beautiful Campellford, Ontario, a small town in Northumberland County. They sell chocolates in small individual wrappers. These are easy to carry in the car and can easily be given out as small tokens of appreciation; or to anyone who needs encouragement, or who simply loves chocolate.
I often share those little chocolate kisses with people as they drive through the coffee kiosks across Ontario. Often these folks have irate customers during the day, and a simple chocolate kiss gives them a little lift- a little hug.
Linda Brunton Port Perry, Ontario
"Put all excuses aside and remember this: YOU are capable." ~Zig Ziglar
CHAPTER 10
The Healing Power of "Faith"
I got a call that my four-year-old niece was rushed to the hospital for immediate brain surgery and was in a coma. Shockingly she was beaten to near death. I was in Texas, listening to her doctor 1,761 miles away. He encouraged me to get to her in Sacramento before the night ends to get "my closure" and "say goodbye". This was absolutely horrifying.
Immediately, I called my boss and he bought me a plane ticket and had his wife drove me to the airport. Thanks to my kind caring boss and his considerate caring wife, I was at the hospital within hours.
When I arrived, I was warned by four nurses that what I was about to see was going to "frighten me" and that I needed to properly "prepare myself". I walked in, gripping the side of my leg so tight I penetrated my skin and started to bleed from disbelief of the little girl that laid in front of me. Before me was a tiny hospital bed and an unrecognizable child that I had just seen two weeks before. The right side of her skull was removed and she was attached to what seemed like a hundred wires and machines.
She did not pass away that night, instead, she lay in a coma for two months with all her loved ones hoping for a miracle. Well, we got our miracle. She opened her eyes despite the lack of "faith" from so many people. For a month after waking up, she was paralyzed, unable to move anything below her shoulders. Until, one day, the left side of her body, both her arm and leg, regained mobility. ANOTHER miracle.
I flew back from Texas to California to witness her progress and when I walked through the door she took her mobile arm and lifted her other paralyzed arm to hug Aunty for the first time in what seemed like forever.
As I sit here typing this, I am crying from an array of emotions, but mainly gratitude. That hug changed my life. It restored my faith in miracles, affirmed my core belief to live each day like it's your last, and made me commit to loving every person I interact with like its the last time I get to see/hug them. A hug can be and do so much, it is just a matter of being present in that hug for what it truly holds.
Tiffany Swineheart San Diego, California
"None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet we go forward. Because we have Faith." ~Paulo Coelho
CHAPTER 11
A Hug or Handshake
When my son was three, our family physician observed that he was exhibiting delays with his speech. He was referred to a Speech Therapist who worked with him for over a year. As he was set to begin kindergarten, the Speech Therapist recommended we delay enrolling him in school for another year. It was still very difficult to understand his speech and she worried that he may have a difficult time communicating with his teachers and fellow classmates.
We had our hearts set on sending him to school that year and thus met with the kindergarten teacher a few days before the start of school to discuss our options. She suggested that we bring him to the first day of school to see how things went. So, we dressed him in his new clothes and shoes and put on his backpack with his school supplies and apprehensively took him to his first day of kindergarten. We were so nervous.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Hug Someone You Love Today"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Michael A. Pickles.
Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Preface, vii,
Acknowledgments:, ix,
About Mike the Author, xi,
What's the Deal with Hugs Anyway?, 1,
A Train Ride to Happiness, 3,
Random Hugs of Kindness, 5,
Hugged by an Angel, 7,
Sherry the PSW, 8,
Twice That Many Hugs Per Day, 9,
Between Gramma and her Grandkids, 11,
A Taxi Driver's Kindness, 12,
Chocolate Kisses, 13,
The Healing Power of "Faith", 14,
A Hug or Handshake, 16,
An Unforgettable Gift, 18,
Egg Salad Sandwiches, 19,
Only a Phone Call Away, 21,
My Power as a Woman, 22,
Find Your Roger Bannister Within, 24,
A Promise is a Promise, 26,
Earning a Child's Trust, 28,
Slow but Steady Wins the Race, 29,
Biological Siblings, 30,
A Gut Feeling, 32,
I Do Not Do Hugs, 33,
Philosophically Speaking, 34,
A Collective Kitchen, 35,
Changing the World One Pencil at a Time, 37,
A Hug on the Dance Floor, 41,
My Furry Creatures, 43,
A Giant's Hug, 44,
Healthy Hemoglobin, 46,
Daddy's Garrison Boots, 47,
From Dust to Dust, 50,
Teetl'it Gwich'in from Teetl'it Zheh, 52,
A Collection of Heart Shaped Symbols, 54,
The Value of a 20 Dollar Bill, 57,
After the Tsunami, 58,
A Lifting Hug, 59,
The Spirit of UBUNTU, 60,
If Only ..., 61,
Long Overdue Sailing Trip, 63,
Lick Your Wounds, 64,
Arely Feels the Hugs, 66,
The Human Body is a Miracle, 67,
Embrace the Unknown, 68,
All Aboard the Hug Train, 70,
Mike's Top 10 Reading Picks, 72,
Money Magic, 74,
Self-Development Tips, 75,
Small Youth Making a BIG Difference, 78,
Powerful Quotations to Ponder, 80,
Mike's Motivational Mentors, 82,
Read YOUR Story in Mike's Next Hug Book, 87,
Action Steps for You to Put into Practice, 89,
Also by Mike Pickles, 92,
Closing Remarks, 93,
Book Mike For Your Next Engagement, 95,
"Hug Someone You Love Today" Testimonials, 96,
Reader's Personal Notes, 103,