The Embrace

Love is not tangible. Thus, the world invented hugs. I believe in hugs. I believe that they stand for love. I believe that words cannot explain the undeniable happiness contained in a hug, and I also believe that every single hug given or received contains some amount of love.

Hugs have many meanings. A hug can be “Hello,” “Goodbye,” “I’m sorry,” “I’ll miss you,” “Thank you,” or “I love you.” “I love you” is sometimes a phrase that makes people very uncomfortable. They may be afraid to love or like or befriend someone. Fear is probably the only logical explanation I can understand for why any person could dislike hugs.

A hug could mean nothing to someone, while a hug can mean everything to someone else. Some people may give out hugs like free cookies, while others may save hugs only for close friends and relatives. I consider myself a member of the former group. I hug people as if I couldn’t survive without hugs. When I first started high school, I was apprehensive about hugs in general. But in a crowded hallway when you don’t have more than three seconds to talk to someone, everything can be said in one action: a hug.

Hugs are important enough to me that my friend and I made up a name for one of our hugs. It’s called “The Kevin Hug.” During the summer, I would see him at our theatre group two days a week. We wouldn’t have much time to chat, so I came up with an altered version of what most would call a “bear hug.” I am sure it is quite constricting, because periodically, he would hide from me when he saw me coming. But he always returned the hug, because that’s what friends do. Friends love each other, therefore, friends hug.

In my opinion, it is difficult to resist a hug because a hug is the epitome of love. Though I have stated that I believe in hugs, it has occurred to me that the belief in hugs is indirectly belief in love. So the next time you want to tell someone that you love them, you don’t need to say it. A hug will suffice.