Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Would you hug a stranger?

Would you hug a stranger?
I volunteer at my daughter school from time to time to help out with (GGR) Group Guided Reading. Today was one of those days. I helped out with Word Bingo, an interesting game where I was to say a word and the children had to find it on their word bingo sheet and cover it with a tick mark.
We did this for about 30 minutes and then the children left for lunch. I picked up my bag and was ready to leave , when suddenly I felt a pull on my jacket. I looked back and there was a little girl crying and trying to hug me. I asked her why she was crying, She said that someone had hit her with a skipping rope and she was hurt. I took her in my arms and gave her a big hug and she started to smile. Seeing me hug another child, my daughter came running to me and tried to claim her right on me by declaring to the girl , “ this is my mummy”. The little girl ( whose name I found out was Aila) still kept hugging me and wouldn’t let me go , but in about 5 minutes both Inara ( my daughter )and Aila had become friends and disappeared holding hands and laughing and giggling.
I was left there wondering , what just happened. This was such a beautiful scene. A complete stranger comes out of the blue, hugs you and then disappears having found a new friend. She has completely forgotten about her pain and is now jumping around.
How I wish we adults would do that, we get so bothered about what someone would think that we would never dare to hug a stranger. Well maybe after having had copious amounts of alcohol we have all gone and hugged strangers or maybe even done things that we may have regretted. But how many of us in our sobriety go to a stranger, hug them and tell them what was bothering us and then completely forget about it and move on. We get so bogged down by expectations and beliefs that we forget spontaneity. We weigh too many pros and cons and always try and stay within the societal norms. Sometimes these very boundaries lead to frustrations and mediocrity, so once in a while go out and do something outrageous. Go hug a total stranger and tell them your life’s troubles, your pleasures, your hope and your dreams. More often than not, you may just find a new friend.
We all need love, attention, care and hugs and happiness. If you are too proud to get those and give those to the people you know, go share it with complete strangers, it just may work.
As my friend Kenny (www.myspace.com/rushtrader2112) says about happiness

“True happiness is simple. Feeling, being and peacefully living in the love of your spirit. Total acceptance and a desire for nothing. Just BEING. Take it one moment at a time. Just sit for one full minute, five full minutes, whatever. And JUST BE. Feel the love. LIVE IT. BE IT.”
And go hug the first stranger you meet. They might think you are crazy, but what the hell, be crazy for a while.
Luv/luck/happiness

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