Sometimes I purchase packages to remind me to pamper myself. Unfortunately, I do forget what I have out there. Luckily, when I did this in Vietnam, the establishments would remember me even years later when I would visit as a tourist and remind me what I have left (at your service). It occurred to me that if I am moving soon, I need to start wrapping these up so to kick off the week, I decided to get a blow out on a nice Sunday funday.
As the stylist was shampooing my hair, just like that she declares that she is going to give me a hug before I leave. She had noted that my hands were full with froyo when I walked in; otherwise, she would have just hugged me then. It is a funny concept in that it is foreign for strangers to just hug, but we both were commenting on how beautiful this world would be if strangers just hugged - make love, not war.
It reminded me of the Free Hugs campaign where strangers with Free Hugs signs approach people in public places offering to give hugs. People's reactions in NYC was mixed when this first came out with some actually cringing and rushing off from strangers approaching them for hugs. Years later though, it became so commonplace that people just gathered and lined up to hug anyone. It started in Australia from "Juan Mann" who was depressed and lonely until a random stranger hugged him at a party, and it was the difference he needed. The Sick Puppies made it viral from a YouTube music video.
While it was not International Free Hugs Day (yes, that is a thing as the first Saturday after June 30), it was wonderful to feel the positive energy and vibrations from Dee as she gave me a genuine warm embrace to jump start the week. Valentine's Day tends to be overhyped to accentuate couple privilege and in so doing, isolates many singles, but in the end, it is about professing love and honoring love in all forms. Someone out there clearly knew I needed a hug, and it was manifested in a random act of kindness from a stranger.
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