Just give us a warning first, please

I’m not entirely sure why some people are huggers and others aren’t.

For the record, I’m not a hugger. Embracing someone else creates an intimacy that makes me very uncomfortable. I guess it’s because I don’t know what it means. I have some extended family who hug all the time, and when I’m around them I brace for impact.

I’m not that big of a hugger with my kids, either. When they’re little, sure—lots of cuddles. But when they get bigger, something changes and we quit. When I pick up my kids from the airport after they’ve been gone for a long time, we have to negotiate that hug because it’s not natural. Same when my kids go back to college. We do the hug, and it’s an awkward sight, I’m sure. I show affection through attention, talking, food, service, but not hugging.

So when less intimate acquaintances move in for that embrace, I panic. What do you want?! What does this mean?! What level of friendship do you require of me now?! Why are you touching me?!

If you’re a hugger, can you help Perrin and I understand why? Seriously, we have no idea what it means . . .

(Also, remember to fill out the form below if you want a free magnet and bookmark. I’ll start mailing them out next week, and I promise I will do NOTHING else with your address. I just want to say thanks for your support. I also still have a couple of magnets from last year’s promotion; let me know if you want those, too.)