Amy Lu's View

I never used to be a hugger.

It’s just not what my rural German family or community did. I definitely spent the first-half of my life not hugging people. We only hugged on VERY special occasions–actually, graduation is the only occasion I can think of.

Then I met the Snyders. They hugged in greeting and in farewell!

My transition to becoming a hugger was filled with some angst and awkwardness (I think I scared/pleasantly surprised my grandmother the first time I hugged her as an adult), but now I am a full-fledged hugger. I may even tend toward over hugging, as I’ve learned it’s a nice social shortcut. Don’t know what to do? Hug! (Oh, and some of my excessive hugging may be inspired by alcohol consumption).

Virtual Happy Hour selfie with the Scooby Gang…wish I could hug these people! (We may keep up virtual socializing though as a supplemnt to IRL socializing–much easier to get together. I expect there will be many situations in the future where people still want to do virtual sometimes because of convenience).

Rather, I WAS a hugger. Obviously, there’s no hugging of friends and family in social isolation. (Yes, there is some Chamy hugging but we’re not extravagant). Of course, I hug/wrestle StanLee a lot, on Hug Your Dog Day (April 10) and every day.

People give Chad a lot of crap for not being a hugger or a smiler, but I totally support Chad in these manifestations of his Chadliness. He’ll hug or smile if he wants to. Of course, Chad could care less if people disapprove of his emotional/social expressions.

I think my early days as a non-hugger are serving me well, as I can adapt to a low-hugging lifestyle pretty easily. I wonder if I’ll have to learn to hug again when it’s no longer dangerous?

*In high school we did a production of the play “Teach Me How To Cry” and that title has always stuck with me. Crying was another thing that my people did not do.