I was enjoying my morning coffee, looking out the window at the wind swept ice breaking up in the harbour. The pups were squeezed around me, packed close, their warmth radiating through me, like a fleshy armed hug from grandma, drawing you to her bosom, the safest, warmest place on earth.
How we crave human contact. We are communal beings that need one another, and I don’t mean in a sexual way. We need and crave physical contact....the hug. It is known to relieve stress and promote psychological well being. A hug indicates familiarity, love, affection and friendship, all feel good therapy, and when human contact isn't available sometimes we substitute it by way of the family pet or now, buy it on the internet.
Monday morning, CBC radio covered a story about a man who started a business where you call for a hug and someone appears at your door, embraces you and maybe even lays beside you in bed to hold you, cuddling your woes away. They will listen and provide human contact for an hour at the cost of $90.00. There is a contract to sign and for all those involved, protection by means of a phone call to check when they arrive at your dwelling and when they leave. There is no sexual touching of any kind allowed. They provide a service for people starved for human contact, human touch, seeking emotional warmth through this nonverbal communication. To live alone, be depressed, trapped in a world without love, I can see how a hug might lighten the load.
Being touched is a powerful experience. It’s therapeutic but it’s something our society doesn’t really embrace....pardon the pun. With the world disconnecting digitally, physical contact may be in danger of extinction, how sad would that world be?
Part of the interview was about touch and babies. Preemies are released from the hospital up to six days earlier when they are handled, touched and caressed. Depending on their length of stay, a preemie can cost up to a million dollars for care and early release through touch can constitute savings to the tune of 4.1 billion dollars yearly. Infants who are touched gently on a regular basis gain weight and grow at better rates than babies who lack this contact and experience fewer medical complications in their first year of life.
Like any kind of home care, this kind of business could have risks. Walking into a unfamiliar situation is always a worry. There could be mental instability waiting behind the door. CBC interviewed a retired law enforcement officer that voiced his concerns. The business owner said the huggers are trained to assess situations and most are educated in the mental health fields, like psychiatry and psychology, and apparently there is no shortage of volunteers for the job.
Today is a good day to grab the ones you love and embrace them tightly....after all happiness is a warm hug. Grab your spouse, partner, child, parent, grand parent, pet or even a tree. If you don't have anyone to hug, drop by the shop, I still appreciate the merits of a good squeeze and it's free!
How we crave human contact. We are communal beings that need one another, and I don’t mean in a sexual way. We need and crave physical contact....the hug. It is known to relieve stress and promote psychological well being. A hug indicates familiarity, love, affection and friendship, all feel good therapy, and when human contact isn't available sometimes we substitute it by way of the family pet or now, buy it on the internet.
Monday morning, CBC radio covered a story about a man who started a business where you call for a hug and someone appears at your door, embraces you and maybe even lays beside you in bed to hold you, cuddling your woes away. They will listen and provide human contact for an hour at the cost of $90.00. There is a contract to sign and for all those involved, protection by means of a phone call to check when they arrive at your dwelling and when they leave. There is no sexual touching of any kind allowed. They provide a service for people starved for human contact, human touch, seeking emotional warmth through this nonverbal communication. To live alone, be depressed, trapped in a world without love, I can see how a hug might lighten the load.
Being touched is a powerful experience. It’s therapeutic but it’s something our society doesn’t really embrace....pardon the pun. With the world disconnecting digitally, physical contact may be in danger of extinction, how sad would that world be?
Part of the interview was about touch and babies. Preemies are released from the hospital up to six days earlier when they are handled, touched and caressed. Depending on their length of stay, a preemie can cost up to a million dollars for care and early release through touch can constitute savings to the tune of 4.1 billion dollars yearly. Infants who are touched gently on a regular basis gain weight and grow at better rates than babies who lack this contact and experience fewer medical complications in their first year of life.
Like any kind of home care, this kind of business could have risks. Walking into a unfamiliar situation is always a worry. There could be mental instability waiting behind the door. CBC interviewed a retired law enforcement officer that voiced his concerns. The business owner said the huggers are trained to assess situations and most are educated in the mental health fields, like psychiatry and psychology, and apparently there is no shortage of volunteers for the job.
Today is a good day to grab the ones you love and embrace them tightly....after all happiness is a warm hug. Grab your spouse, partner, child, parent, grand parent, pet or even a tree. If you don't have anyone to hug, drop by the shop, I still appreciate the merits of a good squeeze and it's free!
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