I'm a hugger...

Friends,

I am a hugger. That is probably no surprise to most of you but I find powerful meaning in physical touch. Whether it's snuggles from my kids before they go to bed, a peck on the cheek from the most senior member of my church (love you, Kay!), or giving a hug to someone I have not seen in a while, being physically close to other people is important to me. But what happens when it becomes unacceptable to be close to one another during a viral outbreak? I have a few reflections from someone that needs hugs on a regular basis.

To start, smother your pets. My dog is attached at my hip when I am home so the COVID-19 outbreak has caused my dog to be my best friend. Frequent head rubs, pats on his shoulder, and the occasional kiss, my dog is getting spoiled because I'm somewhat apprehensive about petting my kids :-). For more information on how this affects our furry friends click here.

What I really want to do the most is hold my kids tight and give each other mutual comfort in the midst of this pandemic. In reality, if my immediate family gets the new coronavirus, we should be able to weather the storm and overcome it. Without a positive test result in the immediate area (yet), I have not completely separated my interactions with my children. I am still in the public, even though their interactions are being limited to our home, so I have to make sure that I am not bringing germs into the home. Just because there are no confirmed cases around Vandergrift or Ebensburg does not mean that the virus is not in our communities. I suppose it is a false hope that I keep holding onto but eventually my habits with my kids will have to change.

Just getting into my vehicle, getting gas, getting into my office; it has all changed. When I see someone that I have not seen in a while, I want to shake their hand or give them a hug. To be honest, it feels as though I am unable to fully show my admiration and appreciation for the presence of that person that stands right in front of me. As the Rev. David Ackerman said recently to me at my ordination service "Everything in my soul wants to give you a hug right now." Those words meant a lot to me. You see, I am not the greatest communicator. The reason why I seek physical touch is because I often struggle to find the words to fully share how I feel. I am sure that my desire to be close to others has been a result of my speech impediment that largely affected my social interactions as a child. With that being said, this pandemic is going to cause us to be better communicators. As a community leader, I have picked up the phone more in the last two weeks a lot more than I typically do. Also, I plan on writing more online content and finishing projects that I have been meaning to do for some time.

But if I can't get my regular (and irregular) hugs from people, how will I/we survive? The most important thing to remember is self care. We cannot be glued to our phones and the news every second of the day and become more fearful every time a new headline pops up. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself and your family. If you work from home, make sure you are still practicing healthy boundaries around time and wellness. Remember, this will end and we will be able to return to our regular lives (possibly with some changes). In the long run, there will be a new normal and remote conferencing and conference calls will be regular parts of our industries.

Some advice, unsolicited but warranted: Just because you live in an area where there are no confirmed cases or you may not be showing symptoms does not mean that you can't spread the virus or are not infected. Most healthy and regularly well people might get a fever or a cough from this but because it is so contagious, we could easily spread it to people that may not have as good of an outcome as some might. Get sleep, take zinc and vitamin C, and wash your hands while being cognizant of your interactions with other people, including your family.

I want to give a virtual hug to my fellow huggers and those that need it. We are in this together even if we are separated. We are resilient and blessed and whether you find hope through your faith or your faith in humanity we will be stronger because of this. Take care, go for a walk, get some sunshine (the sun is shining!), and stay connected.