Hugs

Stiff upper lip. No touchy feely. I can't remember sitting on parent's knees. BUT between 1940 and 1950 three daughters and two sons were born and they taught me about the importance of warmth and hugs and sitting on knees and ever since I've made sure that I get a great many hugs. Hugs in the street. Hugs on arrival. Hugs on departure. Hugs of compassion. Hugs to exchange affection. Delighted "how lovely to see you" hugs. (Isn't it funny how a word repeatedly said or written starts to to be just a sound or just a pattern of letters).

My son Marco said "everyone has their own special sort of hug and the first time you hug someone you can be really surprised. Some people have the most gorgeous hugs and some people feel like an ironing board."

I've been getting a lot of delicious hugs over the last few weeks because the family has been miserably bereaved and my friends have come and knocked on my door and said "I've come to give you a hug" and then enfolded me so that I can boo-hoo all over them. Lovely! I think old people need a lot of hugging to remind them who they are.

My saddest hug story was a few years ago when my darling husband had to go into a home because of Alzheimers. I was offering round a box of chocolates to people sitting in chairs on the lawn in the sun and I knocked the foot of an old man. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I hope I didn't hurt your foot" " Not at all. It was just so nice to be touched."