hugs

So I'm not really a hugger. Never have been. I remember in junior high it became the trend to give your friends hugs when you saw them. I felt so awkward and uncomfortable! Of course, everything is awkward and uncomfortable in junior high, but this was even more. I don't know why this is. One of my main love languages is physical touch so you would think hugging would be right up my alley, right? There are a lot of unanswered questions in regard to hugging. How tight should I hug? Which side should I put my face to? What if we bonk noses? What if one party is aiming for a side hug and the other a regular hug and it ends up with the first party reaching awkwardly across to the other person's shoulder? What if the other person does one of those air kiss things?

I married into a hugging family. My husband's cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, siblings, and grandparents all hug to say hello and goodbye. To be honest I was startled at first. They all hugged me when they met me! Then they hugged me again when we left! In the past 6 1/2 years of marriage I have adjusted to all this hugging, but I still have to remind myself about it when we approach the gathering. Ok, we're going to walk in and there will be hugs. Lots of them. Ready? Go!  I forget about the goodbye hugs half the time and just walk out with a wave and say, "see you guys later!" only to remember as I'm driving away, oops, didn't hug anyone.

I kinda like it now, actually. I have grown slightly more comfortable with hugging in general but you can bet I won't be the first to offer one. So if you've ever expected a hug from me and didn't get one, don't take it personally! I probably just didn't even think about it.

Are you a hugger or a non hugger?