Hugs

I was sitting in church last night, waiting for the service to begin, when all of a sudden I felt some arms around my neck. The warmth felt good on that cold evening but I didn't know who it was. "Who is this?" I asked, more than one suspect immediately coming to mind. She didn't answer but stretched her neck around to try and show her face. I wasn't surprised to see that it was little Raquel, a very affectionate little girl who, along with her family, is always at church. All of a sudden I felt a double warmth, not only from the physical hug but also from the emotion of knowing that someone likes me. I believe one of the purposes for which God made our arms was to give good, warm hugs to those we love. "Worth a thousand words" is true for hugs as well as pictures! Several years ago someone gave me this poem about hugs...

Hugs come in every shape and size and mean so many things,
Like the hug that says "I'm happy for the joy your friendship brings."
There are hugs for saying "I'm so proud of all the things you do,"
Hugs that say "There's no one else in all the world like you."
There are gentle hugs, and tender ones for feelings that are sad,
Hugs that say "I'm sorry" when someone's feeling bad.
There are hugs for all occasions, and reasons big and small,
Tiny hugs, and bear hugs-short to extra tall!
But the nicest hug is one that says "I'm always thinking of you,"
The special kind this brings your way-
The hug that says "I LOVE YOU!"