What’s the Value of a Hug?
The challenge of physical touch in our society today
When I was in university, I took some interesting psychology courses as electives. One of my favourite classes was Abnormal Psychology. I learned quite a bit about my friends and family from this class! But seriously, I remember learning about the value of a hug.
The course took a look at a study that was done years ago on the benefits of touch.
It reported that babies respond positively to being held, stroked and touched.
I wasn’t surprised by this study. We all need the physical benefits that a simple touch can bestow.
God created us with five senses. We can easily stimulate our sense of sight, hearing, taste, and smell. However, touch is best experienced through external sources.
My children loved to have their backs tickled as we said our prayers at night. This was a ritual that I started with them from infancy. It was something that my own mother did with her four children. It’s something that I continue to enjoy today.
A hug, even more beneficial, is something that is not so simple. Unfortunately, our society has pulled away from such expressions of warmth and touching and it is even frowned upon in…
