January 21, 2025 - Welcome & a Virtual "Hug" for You!

Welcome to encouragement from grandma - I am a grandma and have three amazing grandchildren whom I love with all my heart. encouragement from grandma is a place where I will try to offer encouragement, love, and acceptance each day. I will include a link to a video of me sharing each day because I want to support everyone, but especially any of you who feel unloved, left-out, or "different". We all feel these things at times, as we are all more alike than we are different, but while some of us have people around to express love and support, not all of us do. I want to be someone who does this for everyone.

So, today my encouragement for you is to please take my words as a virtual "hug" - today is actually National Hugging Day! With all the stress and sadness from yesterday's inauguration, if ever we needed a day to hug, today is it for sure.

I looked on-line at punchbowl (dot) com and found the following information about National Hugging Day; "Today is National Hugging Day! Whether you prefer Bear Hugs, Heart-to-Heart Hugs, Cheek Hugs, or Side Hugs, embrace your loved ones today to show your love and affection.

Scientific studies have demonstrated hugs are incredibly good for us. A hug can lower your blood pressure, trigger the release of healthy hormones (like oxytocin), and relieve stress. Doctors recommend a minimum of four to six hugs per day for our emotional and physiological well-being, but more is always better!

The record for most hugs given in one hour by an individual is 1,749. Nick Vujicic achieved this feat at an expo center in Oregon in 2010.

Find out more about National Hugging Day and celebrate it in your own special way. Create a hug chain, host a hug-a-thon, initiate a group hug, or substitute hugging for handshakes in honor of the occasion!"

So, what else might you do to celebrate National Hugging Day? Well, maybe you could . . .

• Buy a bag of Hershey Hugs candies and give them to the people you come in contact with today!
• Have someone take a picture of you and the people you love, hugging.
• Make "hugs" - lay out long sheets of paper - lay down on the paper with your arms out - have someone trace around your arms - connect the lines when you get up - cut out the arms and have decorate the arms/hug for one big paper hug which you could give to someone you love!

I found some great info on hugs on Nationaltoday.com - 

• 12 — the number of hugs required by humans every day to be healthy. 
• 32% — the percentage of stress which is dispelled with a hug. 
• 20 seconds — the average time of a hug. 
• 4 — the number of hugs needed for survival. 
• 8 — the number of hugs needed by humans every day for maintenance. 
• 10 seconds — the hug time which leads to biochemical reactions in the body which boost health. 
• The average time spent hugging is an hour a month.
• Most people hug with their right arm when going for a hug.
• The nurturing touch of a hug builds trust and a sense of safety.
• Hugs instantly help increase oxytocin levels, which heal and combat feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger.
• Next time, when you feel like fighting with someone, stop … and give them a hug instead. It will give you time to calm down and remind you of your close connection.
• Hugs strengthen the immune system.
• Scientists found that hugging — even if it was just an inanimate object like a teddy bear — helps soothe individuals’ existential fears. 

Happy National Hugging Day - now this is a day I love to celebrate and actually believe should be celebrated every day for sure!

Here is my virtual "hug" for you today - You matter. You deserve to be loved and are loved - I love you! You make our world a better place - we need you in this world. I hope you have people around you who tell you these things, but if not, please let me be someone who does.