Hug Your Kids Message Helps Before, and After, Tragedies

According to my research from Google Alerts, someone uses the phrase “Hug your kids” on the Internet about once a day, somewhere in the world. However, at least half the time, it’s after a child or teen dies or is badly hurt, like in the case of Stephen Gant, a promising young man from Riverside High in Tennessee with a bright future in baseball, who died by suicide in April of this year.

These Google Alerts are a daily motivator to me to work harder to get out my message “Hug your kids” farther, faster, deeper, sooner, because hugs matter. Could hugs have prevented this young man’s tragedy, or that of any other person’s? I don’t know. But I know that a history of hugs before a tragedy, helps in the healing of the survivors.

So folks, hug your kids, and loved ones, today. And if you know the Gant family, or any other family who has had a loss recently, go hug them too.

PS Here’s the story of this young man. I don’t want to add to his family’s pain but maybe someone reading this post can learn from their tough loss. And if you’re thinking of hurting yourself, please go ask someone for a hug and help.  http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/prep-baseball-superstar-possible-first-round-mlb-pick-170907446.html#ugccmt-container 

Hug Your Kids – I bet Marie Osmond Wishes She Could Hug Son Michael Again

Marie Osmond grieves the sudden death of her teenaged son, Michael Blosil,

Singer Marie Osmond’s 18-year-old son, Michael Blosil, died by suicide last Friday, Feb. 26. We at the Hug Your Kids project extend our sympathies to the Osmond and Blosil families. What a loss – for his family, his friends, and the world in general.

BTW, saying “committed suicide” is not polite. We say “died by suicide” because the point is he’d dead, and can no longer love, laugh, or contribute. How he died is really beside the point. Not living = not living. Sure, she has 7 other children, but not one can be replaced by another. Every child is unique and irreplaceable.

The fact that Marie was a famous person from a famous family doesn’t make Michael’s death any more important – or any less. He was her son and she was his mother. That’s all that matters.

I can only hope that Marie had a chance to hug Michael the last time she saw him alive, and to tell him how much she loves him. Hugs may not be able to save a life but they can make the sudden death of a loved one more bearable for those left behind.

A hug for Marie and her family from another grieving mother.  Hug Your Kids and loved ones today!