You Make A Difference

Have you hugged someone today?

Sometimes a hug is all one needs. A hug conveys so much more than words. The act of holding someone in a hug strips away barriers that often cannot be voiced in words. I didn't always love hugging people despite growing up in a family where hugs and kisses were frequently given. Everyone hugged and kissed at family gatherings - both when arriving and departing.

I guess I never gave much thought to the value of a hug. The past few weeks I seem to have been hugging many people. Recently it was the anniversary of a friend's son's passing and when I saw my friend I gave her a hug and held her for a long time while she cried. Afterwards she thanked me and remarked that the hug helped. There were others I hugged; a person recently diagnosed with cancer, another who recently lost his job and a friend who I hadn't seen in awhile.

Then yesterday I gave away another much needed hug. A friend's engagement was called off and he came  to talk. When I saw him I hugged him for a long time. Initially he pushed me away but I kept holding him. After a few minutes he released from the hug and commented how he really needed that hug.

I thought about how hugs are free and yet so many people have lost the art of hugging. I remember how Princess Diana was so liberal with all her hugs and how she touched so many lives. Hugs are truly so easy to give away, they feel great and I think the more one hugs the easier it gets to give out hugs. Hugging truly is priceless and I believe we all need to start hugging more.

 My question to you - have you hugged someone today?


I love hugs. I also appreciate donations to help this blog keep going ~ Karen

Take care of the smallest part

Let each wonderful little action of yours be but a small part. Perhaps like a small piece of a jigsaw puzzle that has hundreds of parts parts.  Each part is important.  Lose one and there is no picture.  There will be a small blank space in the picture.  Take care of the smallest part.

By Barney Manashewitz

You Can Make A Difference

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,

“Well, I made a difference to that one!”

By Loren Eiseley - The Starfish Story