Meaning it!

I recently retired from a very long and wonderful federal career.  It paid the bills and I did what society considered normal, I earned a pension, and now I am to live happily ever after.  I had a hard time of seeing retirement as the end of my career.  What I have come to realize is that it is the beginning of a new journey for my life.  Putting the situation in that perspective has given me a new direction to think of it as a new beginning.  I have the opportunity to now chase my passion rather than my pension. 

One of the things I miss most about the actual work environment was the people.  I miss those day to day relationships I had with the individuals that I interacted with daily.  There were many people all with different personalities both positive and negative.  They were all unique in their own way.  There were those that I became very close friends with that I will treasure their relationships for the rest of my life.  We were not only co-workers but shared so much of our lives together we almost became like family.   I recently had to return to my old office for a business meeting.  I was fortunate to have about 45 minutes of free time after the meeting.  I took this opportunity to go around the office and touch base with a few of my close friends whom I had not seen in about a year.  The impact was phenomenal.  We hugged and were able to make that reconnection that I truly missed.  What I discovered was there is so much meaning behind a meaningful hug.  It reconnects you, and also gives you that warm feeling inside that the connection was real.  I found it exhilarating to know that what had been established over all those years was still there.  When I was able to hug and reconnect with these individuals I felt that they in turn were also feeling the same feelings inside that I was.  This made it feel so wonderful.  It made me really appreciate the act of doing something that really meant something. 

I don’t know if I just never gave a hug much thought, but now more than ever, it had so much more meaning.  As I dissected the hug, I discovered that there is a difference in hugging just for the purpose of hugging, and hugging with meaning. 

 

I started to think back in my past and I can still remember meaningful hugs in my past.  I remember what it meant when I attended a close friends funeral for his mom.  I remember after the service going up to him and hugging him.  It wasn’t just an ordinary hug.  It was a hug or pain and sorry, sympathy and support, friendship and love.  I was able to provide all of those to include taking some of the pain away from his heartbreak.  Hugs can be miracle workers.  They mean so much in times of need. 

 

Sometimes I feel like hugs get a bad wrap.  They are so discounted and they shouldn’t be.  Here are just a few things that a meaningful hug can provide:

o  Support

o  Love

o  Connection

o  Pain relief

o  Caring

o  Shoulder to cry on

o  Greetings

A hug is much more than a handshake especially if it is done with meaning.  Being able to notice the difference is a real breakthrough.  Trust me you will know the next time you hug someone, whether it has meaning or not.  My wish is that you all experience the meaningful hugs in your life and always keep them in your heart.  If you ever need a pick me up, just reflect on those meaningful hugs.