Big Hugs All Around

How do we reveal ourselves to the world, to our friends, to complete strangers ? I had coffee with a friend of mine not long ago.  what stood out in my mind, and something we discussed in some joyful detail later on, was how we embraced.  The Hug is such a simple yet very intimate interaction between two humans, between two souls.  in it, there is much communication.  do we fully embrace?  do we square up our hips and dive right in, or does one hip hang back as if saying i'm not sure.  do the chests meet?   to be completely honest, i gave a "weak" hug, focusing more on the kiss.  ( nobody said this was easy ) we laughed about it later at a party.  Wanting to bring some closure to this, i went back to the scene of the crime and hugged her and her friends around the kitchen table - hips squared up and arms filled with conviction.   I was ready to hug.

what prevents us from fully hugging?  where in our body do we not fully embrace?  what part feels reluctant to come forward and reveal itself?  an honest inquiry into our true nature will allow us to shed light into those areas that seek refuge in the shadows.  the body has an excellent memory even when the mind has forgotten.   maybe it was a past relationship that broke our heart.  maybe it was a traumatic injury that caused us much anguish.  these past experiences linger in the dark and yet reveal themselves in our everyday life, like in a simple hug. 

When we move beyond the vulnerability, the fears, the need to seek protection, we have a great thing called a hug.  we don't worry about the past.  we don't worry about the future.  we simply hug. one soul to another.  just like God intended.