I've been away at college for an entire six weeks already and I'm having a wonderful time. My roommate is great, my hall mates are awesome, and the food is actually pretty good. I'm taking fun courses with unique professors who make class interesting. The homework load is manageable and I've found organizations on and off campus that I want to be a part of. You'd think my life would be complete, wouldn't you? But there's one thing I'm really missing. It's the one thing I need the most.

A hug.

The simple action of a warm embrace is what I need most. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not drowning away in loneliness or isolated from human contact. It’s just that I haven’t been getting many hugs, at least not as often as I’d get them at home. My family is miles away and I came to college without knowing a soul. The new friends I’ve made, I live with, and so the urgency of running up to give someone a hug because I haven’t seen them all weekend is not really there.

It wasn’t until a friend came up to me last week and gave me a great big hug that I thought about the fact that I hadn’t had one in forever. And it made me miss them all the more. It made me miss my mom and dad and brother living 2000 miles away. It made me miss home. It made me miss my grandma and my other family and friends that I haven’t seen in a while. It brought me back to earth and made me realize just how different life in the dorms is than life at home where I would walk down the hallway and steal a hug from my mom whenever I pleased.

Hugs are important in our daily lives. A warm embrace shows love, support, friendliness, and compassion. It comforts someone when they are hurting. It forgives when harsh words are spoken. It brings healing from heartbreak and loss. It is used as both a hello and a goodbye. It is shared with tears and laughter, with joy and with sorrow. A hug breaks down barriers and strengthens relationships. It’s something we often take for granted. It’s something I take for granted. It’s something we don’t miss until it’s gone.

So the next time you see someone, friend or foe, family or stranger, go over and give them a big hug. Show them you care. Show them you love them. Give hugs and let yourself receive them too. It’s just the thing you need, just the thing I need, to get ourselves through each and every day.