Hug and High 5 Day and Back at ‘Ya
Perhaps it’s a bit apropos that Hug and High 5 Day is the day after September 11. It was started by David Hale Sylvester who lost a good friend on that day in 2001.
After that day and suffering the loss he and others had, he found solace in “traveling the world and giving out high fives and hugs.”
In 2020, he began a journey to do a good deed in each of our states.
We all know the feeling we get when we’re on the receiving end of a hug or high five. We also know the joy that stays with us when we hug someone. Of course, there are the health benefits from hugging that we know about.
The connection we have from a real hug or high five, ie social touch, cannot be overlooked. Studies found that this “touch starvation” as a result of the 2020 imposed isolation increased our stress and depression along with other physiological effects.
We don’t have to travel to each state hugging everyone we meet, however we can make an effort to reach out and connect with the people we meet in our everyday lives.
One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.
Shannon L. Alder
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