Hugs come in
many styles and intensities. They are a form of
communication, and they say different things.
- There are
the warming, protective hugs we give to
children, especially when they're having a
bad day, to calm their fears, dry their
tears, and make their faces (and our own)
light up in a smile as bright as a sunbeam.
- There are
those smothering hugs we get from Grandma or
Aunt Gertrude, which choke us with their
way-too-heavy perfume, but nevertheless
assure us that we are loved and treasured and
part of a greater whole.
- There are
bear hugs, those bone-crushers that
"real men" give because they're too
embarrassed (not man enough?) to show a hint
of anything that might be construed as
genuine affection.
- There are
the quick, polite, shoulders-only hugs at
work or school or friendly social outings,
the kind that say "It's good to see
you," "Good work," "Thank
you," or "Congratulations!"
- There are
hugs that are just a little more than
friendly, that say "I really like
you," "I think you're cute,"
or "I'm so glad we've met."
- There are
sleazy squeezes, those adolescent learning
experiences, more groping than embracing,
more lustful than loving.
- There are
joyful hello hugs, more than just friendly
but not intensely so, that say sincerely,
"It's good to be home!"
- There are
tearful good-bye hugs, so hard to bear yet so
hard to tear away from, that say, "I
will miss you terribly!"
- There are
desperate, reassuring hugs in times of danger
or loss, that say, "You are not
alone," "I share your grief,"
or simply scream "Help!"
- And of
course, there is the leisurely but deeply
caring embrace of a couple who have been
together for so long that they have
essentially grown together to form a single
being in two bodies.
|
And then
there's that other sort of hug. You know the kind...
The kind that
cannot be hurried. The kind that starts tenderly
enough, but magically takes on a life of its own,
evolving in mood and growing in intensity as each
partner responds to the other. The kind that begins
with a gentle touch, but is somehow magnetic, drawing
you ever closer, until you are in full contact from
cheek to knees. The kind where you find you are no
longer merely enfolded, but caressed by loving hands
gliding smoothly, eagerly, tantalizingly over your
back. The kind that gets your pulse up and makes you
short of breath. The kind that not only warms you at
the surface, but makes your flesh tingle and sets you
ablaze within. The kind that lasts, not for seconds,
but for minutes, until the knees begin to buckle. The
kind that wordlessly says, "I am yours!" The kind to die for.
=SAJ=
|