By Staff
I pasted a sign as I was between interviews driving from one end to the other.
"Have you hugged someone today?" the sign at the day care read.
I actually smiled as I remembered, yes I had given two women a hug that day, one, a teacher in Cassopolis I was doing a story with who had been so kind as to treat me to lunch. The other was my accountant, who though she found I still owe money to the IRS, was my neighbor when I first moved to Dowagiac many years ago.
I say neighbor but she really lived a few miles away. Living in a rural area the term neighborhood expands.
The day before I remember I gave Karl Crisler a little hug at the Cass County Council on Aging Dyngus Day celebration. You just can't help but hug Santa.
While I hugged these adults without any problem, there are times in this world we live in our children are being deprived of hugs, due to the bad behavior of a few.
I interviewed Mary McFarland this week about the national award and $5,000 she received from Country Living magazine, for being such a great volunteer in her community.
I think I hugged her too, but I really don't remember because I usually do hug both her and her husband Tony when I see them.
She mentioned, as we discussed the Youth Club of Cass County, that her one wish, should she be granted one, would be for more volunteers. The club could then be open more hours and the children could participate in many more programs.
One problem, as she sees it, is many adults are now afraid to get close to other people's children.
With so much in the news about people being arrested and or accused of inappropriate behavior, she was afraid that might scare off possible volunteers.
How sad is that.
I truly believe we all need to be touched by others – in a good way – especially our kids.
After the Cassopolis Village Council meeting I gave a hug to one of the councilmember's wives. She and I hit it off when they first moved here and I did a story about them.
I am sure some would say I was flirting with the enemy, but really I just really like her. She is a very positive person and inspires me.
I wasn't always a hugger. In fact, my own family was very German stand-off and very slow to show any emotion, especially when it involved touching, kissing or hugging.
Marrying into a extremely kissy, huggy family, where even the brothers kiss each other, was the opposite extreme.
You know what happened? I liked it. Especially the hugs.
So if I see you and give you a hug, it just means I am glad to see you and I wish you well.
I am not advocating doing anything that makes one uncomfortable, I just wish we were friendlier to each other and just maybe we would all smile a little more.