This I Believe

A Story by Haley Rhodes

What I believe in

It’s not something people hear every day, and it’s definitely not something that makes sense when you first hear it; but I believe in hugs.

Hugs are this magical physical embrace between two people, that split second in time where someone envelopes you and protects you from everything. That moment when time stands still, and you know that no matter what happens, everything will be okay in the end.

There have been many points in time in my life, where I have experienced something that has upset me.

In eighth grade, my uncle commit suicide and the first thing I remember after that is how my math teacher, Mrs. Buck, gave me a huge hug the next day and let me know that it was going to be okay. And it was the best type of hug you can get, she was 8 months pregnant. So I wasn’t just receiving the hug of a teacher who cares, I was receiving two hugs, one from her, and one from the miracle growing inside of her.

My junior year of high school, my cousin Laura died of Acute Leukemia, her newborn son was only 6 months old. The first thing I remember after the news, was getting a hug from my friend Jordan right before guard practice while I cried into her shoulder.

Whether it’s someone I know, or don’t know, I believe everyone needs a hug.

Just last week, I was walking down the hallway at DV, and a girl ran out of her class room crying. I don’t know who she is, or what caused her to be so upset, but I know that she needed a hug. So I gave her one and told her everything will be okay.

Hugs fix everything, as I like to say, “they make the bad go away”. Hugs are that one moment in life when you know that no matter what happens, that person is there for you. They care about you and everything will be okay in the end.

Hugs are the glue that holds the world together. They are given to encourage, to motivate, to comfort, to inspire, to greet one another, to say goodbye; hugs have many different forms and many different meanings. But there is one similarity between all hugs, they all have a meaning behind them, and everyone knows what they are.

They are part of a universal language, a language everyone knows and everyone understands. The language of safety blankets.

Hugs give us a message, you are safe. Hugs tell us all what we need to know, that we are loved and cared for.

So, yes, I believe in hugs.