My good friend, and Eagle Eye reader, Colleen Petrini alerted me to a Dear Abby letter in today’s newspaper. Demonstrative Dad in Laguna, CA reminisced that he used to kiss his sons on the lips when the boys were little, but now, at ages 13, 11 and 8, he wondered, ”How do I reintroduce this healthy demonstration of love?”
Abby’s reply missed the mark. She said that maybe when they’re older, they will realize the importance of expressing warm emotions. Nuts! What if something similar happens in their family that happened to my family – and a child doesn’t live to grow up? Kids need their daily hugs throughout their lives. And why miss out on the love that is shared by a good hug between dads and their children?
I’ll write to Dear Abby tonight to advise DD to starting hugging those boys today. In the meantime, keep hugging your kids.
Michelle Nichols and Bev Bender, long-time friends, share a hug and a laugh
My old, ahem, long-time friend Bev Bender, recently told me that her dad, at age 93, and his lady-friend partner, a young 87, live in a retirement community in southern California and they made up business cards that say they’re members of ”The Hug Club.” This just goes to show, you’re never too old for a hug!
No one with a pulse can ignore the pain that Haiti’s families have been through in the last few weeks. When I saw a story about a father having to look through a pile of corpses, looking for his 10 year old child, I didn’t know whether to throw up or cry – or both. No parent should be put through such a Hellish
A pure message - Kids remind parents to hug their kids
experience.
I can only hope that every parent in Haiti remembered to hug their kids and spouse/partner that morning, before the disaster. And for the rest of us, we still have time. Hug your kids today, darn it!
On a less-intense scale is the pain of families living outside Haiti but with loved ones in that country. Often the families outside say all they can do is hug their kids and family here, while they wait to hear from their Haiti family members.
My heart goes out to all affected by Haiti’s disaster.
I recently read about Sean Payton, the New Orleans Saints coach, after he won the NFC championship. According to the AP article, Payton said, “It was just good to hug them (his kids) and be around the family and enjoy the time. There never seems to be enough of it.” I’m sure he’ll be even busier as he gets ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday.
So you see, if you sometimes feel like you’re too busy to stop and hug your kids and spend time with your family, you’re not that different from a pro football coach.
The lesson: You don’t find time for hugs, you make time for them.
Parents in America happily hug their kids in public
I just read an interesting article about why some cultures hug a lot – think Italy – and some rarely hug, even their own children – think China. It was written by a Canadian on why Canadians don’t hug a lot publicly. http://records.viu.ca/incline/hugs.html
Tuesday, January 19, is my big 5-0. I don’t want gifts or a fancy party. What I’d really like is for every parent to hug their kids. Just imagine, if we can get this message out, it’ll be like a tidal wave of hugs around the world!
We are all so busy with our jobs, finances, and lives, that it’s easy for us to run right past our kids, as if they were furniture. I know, I’ve done it myself.
Just for me, would you hug your kids, or spouse / partner/ friend/ loved ones, in the next 24 hours? If yes, please comment below and let the world know that you love your kids! Hug photos are welcome too!
No confusion or translation here! Michelle hugs and loves her son.
I subscribe to “A Word a Day” www.wordsmith.org with Anu Garg . Today’s word was “canonical.” What struck me was the word had SIX meanings, and they weren’t consistent across Art, Music, Religion, Literature and Math!
This made me think about the phrase “Work-Life Balance.” I’ve found it also has many meanings. To some people, it means we spend the same # of hours working as our life. To others, it means we try to do something other than work 24/7. For most of us, it’s something in between – but what?
The good news? A hug from a parent to his or her child has one meaning: I love you.
Messenger, the story of Mattie J T Stepanek, rocked!
Jeni Stepanek, mother of the amazing poet Mattie J.T. Stepanek, finally shared the story of his life in her new book, Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs. It was great. Sure I cried, but I laughed too. And she kept the focus on Mattie without making a big deal of all the celebrities who knew and loved him. Jeni wrote a lovely testimonial for the front cover of Hug Your Kids Today.
Here are a few of my favorite parts of her book: 1. His remote fart machine 2. when he explains about Heartsongs. 3. where he explains that MDA wasn’t just about raising funds for research but also about hope and peace. 4. Mattie said, “I always breathe better in a tuxedo.” 5.“Thank you for the hug, Mom. It really made my day.”
PS Here’s what she wrote for my book cover: Wow! A great perspecive on balancing the important things in life. I wish I could hug Mattie again.
Parents often ask me, “How do you hug a teen, especially a male teen?” I tell them to tell their kids that they met The Hug Lady today and she said to hug their kids, so they should stand still and take it like a man! And dads, that means it’s right for you to hug your daughters, if you have a wholesome and clean heart. If she doesn’t get her hugs from her dad, she’s going to look for them from her boyfriends. The teen years, I’m learning, are the toughest of growing up. Family hugs strengthen our kids.
Several people who have read my book, Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent,” have commented that Lesson #2, Carpe Kids, that is, Look for what’s positive in your kids, really touched or spoke to them. I think it’s because it’s the one I personally struggle with the most, and therefore, wrote with the most heart and soul.
I just saw this YouTube about a dog, who failed training to be a service dog, but he could surf, and now he helps a parapalegic 15 year old boy SURF. If you like kids, dogs or surfing – or all 3 – you’ve GOT to see this!
