I’m out and about, and a little girl runs up to my daughter and wraps herself around one leg. She’s hugging that leg with all her might.
The little girl finally looks up at my daughter for what I assume will become that moment of horror when she realizes she’s hugging the leg of a complete stranger. But instead, the little girl keeps hugging and then goes on her merry way back to her mother. The mother apologizes and says, “She’s a hugger!”
I watch the little girl. She’s found another leg to hug and then another. It’s this unspoken language of profound love and belonging. It’s a gesture we all feel in our hearts but rarely act upon: I’m here! You’re here! I’m holding onto you! Hello, you!