| |
  I was in downtown Seattle yesterday and I saw my first “Free Hug” display. Two people were standing at a crowded intersection with signs that said, “Free Hugs.” My first thought was, “What’s the gimmick?” But apparently there wasn’t one. They were just two people standing on the corner giving out free hugs.
My second thought was, “Only in Seattle.” But apparently that too was wrong. There are “Free Huggers” all over the world.
I went to the “Free Hugs” website and discovered that the idea was inspired by founder Jason Hunter’s mother Josephine Hunter who died in 2001. Jason listened at his mother’s funeral as almost every speaker shared how his mom loved hugging people and letting them know how much they mattered. Touched by the speakers, Jason acted on his inspiration and began walking the streets of Miami with a “FREE HUGS” sign. The idea caught on and spread to other major U.S. cities and other nations.
Their website contains testimonies (called “Hugstories”) and pictures of “Free Huggers” in action. There is even a section that explains the proper “Free Hug” technique. There is a section on “The Approach,” “The Hug,” and “Finishing Up.”
The “Free Hug” message is clearly stated: “Through our commitment to the community we are dedicated to letting every single person know that they matter.”
I am not ready to make a sign and hit the streets. But I will offer “Virtual Hugs” for everyone who reads this article. If you are reading now, consider yourself hugged. That is the most I am prepared to do at this time. But if I stay in Seattle much longer, who knows...
|
|
