Hugs are powerful. But have you ever thought of hugs as holy? Sacred? Obviously, a hug is more than just two people wrapping arms around each other and squeezing. Hugs mean something. They mean so many things that we even categorize them. Think about it. We have the:

• Bear hug, which can mean we’re being playful or we’re expressing deep feelings of affection.
• Bro hug, in which we keep one arm between us with hands clasped in a handshake while hugging with the other arm. It maintains a little bit of comfortable distance as opposed to the full body hug.
• Full body hug, shared by lovers and maybe very close friends. This hug is just as it sounds as we pull each other in tightly for a deep show of affection.
• Side hug. You know the one in which two people stand side by side and put one arm around the other before squeezing in slightly from the side while continuing to look forward.
• Comforting hugs are usually longer hugs. Often lasting more than 10 seconds, they provide support and comfort.
• Quick hugs often mark greetings or short partings. They are done politely and ritualistically but lack any real emotional depth.

That’s just a few of the many types of hugs. It just shows that hugs are holy, set apart for a purpose, meeting unique needs. Among families, hugs become sacred. We hug our spouse in ways we would never hug our children; and we hug our children in ways we would never hug an acquaintance.  Hugs are special. Sacred. Holy.

Many times, hugs communicate more about the relationship between the huggers than words. For instance, a hug goodbye says more than goodbye. It says, “Thank you for your time,” “I’ll miss you,” “I appreciate you,” and “I’ll see you later.”

A bear hug can communicate “I’m stronger than you” or “I missed you dearly” or “I love you so deeply,” depending on the context.

Hugging our spouses and our children can communicate love, gratitude, comfort, appreciation, affection, and even apology and forgiveness.

Hugs communicate “I’m here for you,” “I enjoy your company,” “You mean so much to me,” and more.

Yes, hugs are holy. They are powerful communicators. We long for hugs and everything they represent, for the loving communication expressed through hugs. We are even built to give the “best hugs.”

Our marriages and our families will benefit from regular hugs. Greeting hugs, farewell hugs, affectionate hugs, playful hugs, side hugs, bear hugs, comforting hugs…our families benefit from all kinds of hugs. We might just say, “A hug a day keeps the doctor away.” Or in the words of Virginia Satir, “We need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 hugs a day for maintenance, and 12 hugs a day for growth.” Why? Because hugs are holy. In fact, go hug your spouse and your children right now. Really, step away from the screen and give your family a hug, a long hug…just because a hug is holy…a hug is sacred…and nothing will express your love better than a good, old-fashioned hug.