Hugging.. it does the heart good!!

Hugs...
They are incredibly powerful.
Do you know why...
Because they involve intention, emotion and response..

In my lifetime I have must have received 10,000 hugs.
From my late husband,my daughters.. family members... friends and acquaintances
And from all of you in my blog world.
That is the receiving part of a hug...

But yesterday... I gave a hug..
to an elderly man (probably in his 70's) who is going through chemo, and struggling.
He has no family or none that come around (so he shared)... and he was talking about his chemo regimen.  This is a topic I unfortunately know too well.. but still I listened intently to what he wanted to share...

As he finished up his meal, he came up to me and thanked me for listening to him... and I gave him a hug and told him to hang in there.. and kick cancer's ass.

Sadly, this is  not the first time I have had this conversation and connection with someone who is battling cancer.  I have a neighbor (very young) who is at stage IV.. and has failed every chemo trial..
We usually see each other once or twice a week, she is astonishingly beautiful, with two young children and tough as nails in her determination to fight cancer.. which has now spread to her brain.. not good.. not good at all.

But she openly shares her thoughts, her fears, and frustrations... and we hug and assure ourselves that she has alot of people pulling for her..  I know that feeling too..

And then there is a man I work with, who works in SC.  He shared that his wife's glioblastoma (brain cancer) has returned angry as ever. The distance is too great for a real hug.. but through comforting words and intentions, and knowing the emotional strain cancer places on you.. I reassured him that he had a great team of people around him to support and to care for his wife, who he was now considering hospice... another hug leaped from my heart..

Although my posts speaks about people battling cancer, it doesn't have to be that which prompts you to hold a hand, give a hug, or share a smile.. so  many people are hurting and may need one.

So give a hug.. it will do your heart good..

be well.