There are a few things that most college students would love to receive for Christmas: tuition, room, and board, textbooks, booze, socks. However, and perhaps I can only speak for myself, but what I sometimes really need - especially from a sister or friend - is a hug.
In all seriousness, hugs are high up on my list of favorite things, as they – at least for me – serve as a moment of bonding with those I love most. I’ll say that this past semester was terrible and I barely made it out alive, but the highlights were moments with friends and sisters: watching Napoleon Dynamite for the 100th time, half-priced apps from Applebee’s, and Thursday night trips to the L.A. Cafe (A.K.A. the L.A. Caf-Nasty). Above all, however, were the moments when I would see a friend in passing in the student center, and he or she would give me a much-needed hug (because, and trust me, sometimes you just need a hug).
A hug is a type of social interaction that can hold unsurmountable meaning: with a hug, you can say, “It’s great to see you again. I’ve missed you,” or “I’m here for you and I promise, everything will be okay.” Don’t get me wrong. There’s not some hippy-dippy point that I’m trying to make, and I do understand that sometimes we hug people out of obligation; sometimes we hug people to dodge an undesired make-out session; sometimes we hug people out of formality. However, I still maintain that there is something truly special about this type of embrace. It’s not a sexual act (generally speaking), it’s more personal than a handshake, and (hopefully) it means you care. As Steve Irwin so aptly put it, “If someone gives you a hug, it comes from the heart.”
What does this have to do with Christmas? We too often have the mentality that in order to show that we care, we must provide physical, tangible evidence of our love with store-bought presents. After all, all that glitters is gold – right? I, however, contend that often times the most genuine of exchanges come in a different form: a smile, a handheld, a hug, a kiss on the cheek, or a moment’s laughter. The memories I cherish most are the ones where a dear saw that I was upset, and grabbed my hand without letting go, or a Panhellenic Sister greeted me with a hug and kiss before and after our bi-weekly lunch date.
I’m not implying that I plan on going around giving hugs for Christmas, but rather encouraging us all to put thought and love into what we give. For example, a set of hand-made cat letters for the sister that seems to actually purr sometimes, or a copy of a bookworm friend’s favorite book from its first print. A heartfelt card or a mix tape (or CD because cassettes are obsolete) can go a long way. As corny as it sounds, when we give, it’s like we’re hugging from the heart.
