12 Hugs a Day

If you’re like half of the rest of the country, you’re busy scrambling today to finish your income tax returns. I wonder… why is it that we can procrastinate so well on these things, when we know we have to get them done? Well, there are some things that should definitely not procrastinate about.

One of those is to make sure we take a break every now and then to get up from wherever we’re working on the taxes; for no other reason than to give our wives a hug.

Hugs are wonderful. Somehow, they seem to have a curative factor for all the crud of the day. It doesn’t matter if your boss has been crabby; customers have been causing you problems; the car broke down; you’re doing your taxes or you just fell and skinned your knee. All of those problems have the same cure, a nice hug from someone you love.

Guess what? Your wife needs those hugs as well. She’s got things going on in her day that can make her feel just as bad as you do. You hold in your arms the medicine she needs to feel better; or rather her being in your arms is that medicine.

I remember reading a little book a number of years ago, which put forth the theory that human beings need 12 hugs a day to remain emotionally healthy. Supposedly, some group of psychologists had done a study to prove this point, and the writer of the book was using their study to back up the point. Actually, I’m not sure there ever was a study, but I have to go on record saying that I agree with the idea. Dr. Rich’s prescription for emotional health: Hug your wife at least 12 times a day.

A hug isn’t a hug unless you spend some time doing it. Don’t go for one of those one second hugs, make it last. In fact, I’d have to day that the longer it lasts, the greater the curative power of that hug. It’s also not really a hug unless your bodies come in contact. In other words, don’t just put one arm around her and give a quick squeeze. Full body contact is the way to go; that probably increases the power of that medicinal dosage as well.

Remember, at least 12 hugs a day. Even if that isn’t required for mental health, I’d have to say it will do wonders for marital health.