The power of a hug.

Sometimes the hardest words to say are the words 'good-bye'. It would be great to have a language in which we would never have to say good-bye. We would never part from the people we love. My cousin told me that in French they have a entire dedicated to expressing love. Perhaps thats why Frenchmen are reputed to be very romantic!

With the spread of the Internet and social media tools like Skype, Facebook, Twittter, etc we're all quite connected. We can do almost everything except touch each other. There's nothing that can replace the feeling of touch though. No matter how much we may talk on the phone, or send messages through various media, we really cannot replace the sensation of touching the person or persons that we love. There's no substitute.

How do we put in words what we feel when someone we care about hugs us? Hugging and kissing friends and relatives is an integral part of many cultures. Perhaps they understand how crucial it is to have human contact, in fact we could go so far as to say has survival value.

In psychology we learn about attachment theories; how children who have had a secure level of attachment with their primary caregiver-usually the mother- go on to lead balanced lives. And of course the children who have not had a secure level of attachment can go on to lead dysfunctional lives. There are exceptions in both cases however there is a noticeable pattern. And of course everyone knows Maslow's hierarchy of needs, starting with the physical to the emotional, and finally if all these needs are met- leading on to self-actualization. A very much desired state of being.

Not everyone is used to hugging their friends and relatives, but honestly it doesn't hurt to start. Who knows? It may even change your life!