Monday, October 4, 2010

Hug a Stranger

Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Hug a stranger.  I'm not going to be quite as strict with the rules today.  Although it would be best if you hugged someone you had never met, I'll let you off if you hug someone that you don't know well.  But when I say "someone you don't know well", I don't mean a casual friend.  I mean someone you've spoken to maybe once or twice ever.

The reason for my lenience is because at times, you may not come across a good moment to hug a complete stranger off the street.  Maybe the only few strangers you see today are on the phone, toting three kids, or driving in their car.  Obviously not good candidates.  So I'll broaden the spectrum for you. :)

When I'm upset, sometimes all I want is a big hug, no matter who it's from.  Today, let's lighten someone's burden with a single hug.

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture already, feel free to send it to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Leave a dollar for someone to find!
------

I actually completed Day 4's challenge on Day 5 because I stayed home sick, and I couldn't very well go around hugging strangers when I was contagious.  Probably not the kindest gesture to give.  Coincidentally, Ali was sick too!  So we both decided to complete two challenges on Day 5 instead of risking getting anybody else sick.  Best friends share everything, including colds, right? :)

I had in mind not to hug a complete stranger today.  Instead, I wanted to hug some underclassmen that I didn't know very well. Hugs make everyone's day brighter, and I really need to branch out and meet some of the younger kids in my high school.   However, I was faced with a problem.  My school has recently come up with a rule that nobody is allowed to hug anymore.  I'm not even joking.  So hugging a student during school hours would be breaking a school rule and disobeying authority.  My next plan was to go to a nursing home and hug random people, but my heart was set on hugging underclassmen.

Luckily, today was a National Honor Society meeting at lunch- and I don't think lunch counts as school hours- so I managed to hug some girls there.  It was fun to hug them, and not like I felt obligated to hug those girls because of the challenge.  I love hugging.

Hugging is very important.  Check out this cute quote:

"Hugging is healthy: it helps the body's immun[e] system, it keeps you healthier, it cures depression, it reduces stress, it induces sleep, it's invigorating, it's rejuvenating, it has no unpleasant side effects, and hugging is nothing less than a miracle drug.  Hugging is all natural: it is organic, naturally sweet, it has no pesticides, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, and it is 100% wholesome.  Hugging is practically perfect: there are no movable parts, no batteries to replace, no periodic check-ups, has low energy consumption, high energy yield, is inflation-proof, non-fattening, has no monthly payments, no insurance requirements, is theft-proof, non-taxable, non-polluting, and is, of course, fully refundable." - Sharon Lindsey
Me: Ali, did you hug anyone today?

Ali: I went up to a girl and said hi to her, and I hugged her.  She wasn't a complete stranger, but she was definitely a girl I'd never talked to.  She looked at me and smiled and said hi back.

Me: Did you learn anything from hugging people you didn't know very well?

Ali: I think it was encouraging to me and it was also encouraging to her.  It was encouraging to me because, like, because I like giving hugs.  And it was encouraging to her- I think- because, I mean, receiving hugs is nice, and when people hug you, it just makes you feel special.

Did you have fun hugging people?  Did you hug a complete stranger or someone you didn't know very well?


No comments:

Post a Comment