On Hugging

I’m a hugger, but I try to never hug anyone without consent. If I have any doubt, I usually ask people if they hug before reaching out to them in expectation of an embrace. And, there is no wrong answer for me. I don’t care what your reason is, if you can’t/don’t/won’t hug me, that is OK and you don’t owe me any explanation.

I know people who find hugs emotionally unsettling, physically uncomfortable, whose immunity is too weak to allow them to hug, who have a virus they don’t want to give anyone else, or who might have a myriad of other reasons they don’t want a hug.

And that is OK. It doesn’t hurt my feelings. It doesn’t make you the bad guy. I like to offer hugs to people I like, hoping that even if they don’t accept the physical act, they might appreciate the sentiment behind the offer.

So, if I ask you if you are a hugger, or if you are OK to hug and you have any reason not to, you can simply say “No, thanks” and I am OK with that. More importantly, I’ll still be OK with you.