Today I spoke to someone on the phone that I haven’t spoken to for a very long time. They’ve had it pretty awful over the last few months and haven’t been around much.
I had an overwhelming desire to offer them a hug!!
Now, I’m not much of a hugger. Hello hugs and goodbye hugs are not my thing. I used to have a manager who would put her hand firmly on to your arm, roll her eyes with an ‘I feel your pain’ look and walk away. It was worth a million hugs to me!
Today, I needed to offer a hug to a respected colleague but neither a telephone call nor a zoom quite fitted the bill. As we’ve all come to learn, we miss so many of the little physical movements that generate non verbal communication, which helps the world go round.
It’s reminded me of the importance of human contact and the physical closeness which COVID has put on hold. It’s reminded me how good it will be to see and feel other humans in 3D and to offer comfort in times of distress.
Offering a hug to a trusted colleague when they need it is kindness in motion, and we so need kindness right now.