I need your touch...
Mom was a hugger. She loved to wrap us up tight whenever she saw us... the first thing when we got home, always before we left, when we were sad, when we were rejoicing, and sometimes for simply no reason at all except just because she could...
Her hugs were warm, filled with love and life. They could lift our spirits, change our attitudes and make us laugh. It was a prescription for a good day, those hugs from mom.
And maybe she was on to something... Research has shown just how vital a hug can be.
It seems that hugs can boost our immune system, give a sense of security and increase our serotonin levels to improve our moods. Hugs help relax our muscles, release tension in our bodies and alleviate pain by increasing circulation into our soft tissue.
There's a bounty of good in a generous hug!
And when mom received her cancer diagnosis, those hugs became a critical part of her "treatment" plan.
Early on in the journey, we realized that her visitors fell into two different categories. The real, honest-to-goodness huggers and the very real, afraid to touch her pat-ters (the ones who gave a little pat on her shoulder kind of pat-ters).
We decided that the pat-ters might be afraid the cancer was contagious. Which is SO NOT TRUE... but maybe they didn't know that?!
Just in case you missed that... PANCREATIC CANCER IS NOT CONTAGIOUS!
(Ok, I feel better after getting that message out there)
Anyway, after one particularly grueling day of appointments, we arrived home to find a friend bringing her a meal... so very appreciated. Mom was tired and worn out, but happily reached out to give a hug... the sweet friend immediately began to pat mom on the shoulder, forestalling the hug and said her goodbyes...
That moment grieved mom for days... it was another win for the cancer. And let me say here, not all cancer warriors feel the same way about hugs. You may not want to go around hugging every cancer patient you see... that might be creepy. Just saying... but if you are walking this cancer road with someone you love, don't be afraid to hug tight and close and often. Hugs are powerful things.
For mom, a hug meant so much more than hello or goodbye, or thank you for a meal.
It was a connection, a physical affirmation she was important, she was loved, that she could do this.
A lift for her spirits, an encouragement without words...so simple an act, such profound effects.
On this Cancer Journey,
Never Forget that a Hug is a Powerful Thing!
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