Have You Hugged Your Mom Today?

Although I didn’t know it at the time I believe I began my “Hug Ministry” in my early twenties. As a child of immigrant parents from the Ukraine, I wasn’t accustomed to many displays of affection through “I love you’s” and hugs….especially from my Poppa. That just wasn’t the way he or Momma was raised. However, I must have observed affection displayed to children through television because I craved it.

After I married at nineteen, I began to tell my parents that I loved them and began to give hugs on a regular basis. Poppa took to the idea and began to hug back (big bear hugs) and say “I love you too.” I really enjoyed those hugs until his death in 1990.

Momma learned to hug too but the “I love you’s” were a little tough so she would always answer with “I know you love me.” And that was okay.

When my sons were born, I made a conscious decision to give them lots of hugs and “I love you’s.”

Perhaps you remember a television commercial from many years ago that stated “Its 10:00 do you know where your children are?” Because I believed showing affection was so important, I changed the words and would always ask my boys, “Have you hugged your Mom today?” We would hug and laugh…what sweet memories.

When as teens they spiraled out of control in drug addiction and there was so much anger, pain and hurt, the hugs and “I love you’s” dwindled down to almost non-existent. My pain blinded me to the fact that they needed my hugs and “I love you’s” more than ever. After a time I began to attend Families Anonymous. At that time I didn’t know Jesus as my Savior. One thing of great importance I learned in those meetings is the importance of sharing my love for my sons in the midst of the craziness and finding one thing each day to affirm each of my sons. Let me tell you, there were times that I was really reaching with things like “That’s a great hair cut.” I began to force myself, through my pain, to say “I love you.” I desperately needed to reconnect and love my sons through it all.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Colossians 3:13-14 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

So have you hugged your spouse, child, mom, dad, friend today??

Mary Ann