Connecting Through The Power Of A Hug
Last week on Twitter, I shared a certain video with some of the amazing people I’ve been fortunate to connect with on the social-networking site. The video in question features Juan Mann wandering the streets of Sydney, Australia offering free hugs to anyone who’d like one. Although it’s a simple gesture, the video has since gone on to inspire the creation of a global movement of people offering free hugs to complete strangers.
I shared this video on my Twitter stream to show my appreciation to these wonderful people who have shared with me their kindness and friendship. However, what I hadn’t anticipated was how it would resonate with so many others.
Shortly after I tweeted a link to this video, it was being retweeted by others who wanted to share this video in their stream. From this, I started getting tweets from people I hadn’t met on Twitter sharing videos showing the spirit of human collaboration in the creation of new music pieces and songs. People I didn’t know started to include me in lists of people they were sending inspiring videos and messages of warm wishes. I found myself making new connections and interacting with new people – all because of a video showing people giving hugs to complete strangers.
It was a great reminder of how a simple gesture like giving a hug can connect us with others in ways that no other form of communication can, of how nothing else can give us that sense of comfort as much as being embraced by another person. I’m sure all of us can recall a moment or two where someone we knew gave us a hug to comfort us through a difficult time, or even when we were able to help make someone else feel a little less saddened by allowing them to find solace in our arms.
And yet, sadly it seems we’re losing touch with how significant this simple gesture can be, if not how much it defines our sense of humanity. Perhaps that’s why this simple video has caught the attention of so many and continues to do so years after it was filmed. It’s hard not to get caught up in the emotion of seeing total strangers – people who would’ve ordinarily paid no attention to one another – taking a moment to reach out to each other, their arms outstretched in an act of kindness.
Will giving others hugs solve our current economic crisis or resolve many of the conflicts raging on around the world? No. But sharing a hug with another person will remind us of our commonality, our shared humanity, if not our ability to find comfort in the arms of each other.
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You bought a huge smile to my face..thank you <3
Hi Karen,
I’m glad that I could share this smile with you. Thanks for taking the time to share this – you’ve reciprocated by putting a smile on my face.
Have a great day and thanks again for the comment.
Tanveer.
Thank you for your gift of insight.
Hugs like smiles are contagious. But more importantly they are necessary for the emotional well-being of so many people. Particularly, those who live in isolation. A simple touch can be healing and validating. Yes, do pass it on.
Why, thank you, Angelina. I appreciate that and I’m glad you’re enjoying my writings.
I thing you’re absolutely right that hugs – or any type of physical connection with others – is very important to our emotional well-being. Sadly, we’ve become obsessed with treating any type of contact between people as being sexual in nature that we now shy away from making such gestures. Here’s hoping that we starting focusing more on how reassuring and comforting it feels when we’re being held in the arms of another person.
Thanks again, Angelina, for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Sending a hug your way.
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