Dear LPG,

Do you remember lockdown and the time when getting anywhere remotely close to our loved ones was the one thing that, for the sake of world health, we were not allowed to do? We were all advised to stay in our houses for so long, and even though the national telephone company and the internet kept us sane, any physical contact was one of the ways that the illness could be passed on.

I wrote a message for LPG at the end of April 2020, reminding that there is a National Hug day, but all that happened last spring when that celebratory day, or any similar show of affection, was about as far away as it could be on two counts; we had no idea exactly when we would be allowed out of our homes again, and we had some nine months to go before the celebratory day would reoccur.  But that day has now arrived.

I am not sure that any of us have really fully recovered but, as I predicted that day, there was a lot of hugging a few weeks later when we were all allowed to visit and meet up with each other again.  The denial of permission to do something really fundamental provokes a need to do it all the more. 

Did you know that, according to scientific research, hugging is really good for you?  I learned from the internet that hugs can boost heart health, offer support to others, reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and decrease the feeling of loneliness. 

This national day originated in the USA in 1986, but I think that it should become an international event because of all the positive benefits of getting close.  I read somewhere that there are so many lonely people to whom an occasional hug could make a difference, so perhaps this is a day to share a hug with someone who would not expect one from you (although I would warn them before just getting in there).  

As a man of the world, and an older one at that, I am very aware of the potential consequences of getting it wrong.  It appears that, for ladies, it is relatively easier to give a hug without the motive being misconstrued.  With that thought in mind I would like to ask male readers to cast their minds back to my post on the subject of getting man-to-man hugging right (►►►) and remind everyone to be mindful of who you can hug successfully, particularly if you are not sure if your intended ‘huggee’ will truly appreciate your motive.   Perhaps some forewarning could be useful although I did read an internet article which suggests that this is the day to hug a stranger…

I have to wonder if, now that all bans regarding human contact have been lifted again, we have all fallen back into normality, human nature so often has a gift for taking things for granted, so I want to express my hope the nation is remembering to make the most of keeping in contact with each other?  Especially today…

SD, Deptford

SD provides us with some history and science on this subject…

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