I was going through a tough time recently, and was trying to sort through why, when I concluded that I felt like a napkin ring. Sort of useful but easily done without, not really good for much, and always just kind of there. So after a few days when the thought inevitably passed, and after I'd gotten over my murky self, I realized that lots of people probably felt the same way from time to time, so I decided henceforth that I would endeavor to not to let any day go by without validating at least one person. Honestly, it's not much of a commitment. I like to think I was doing that already. 

This should probably be a separate post but it's not totally unrelated. And I'm taking you into a dangerous place known as Jamie World. I may even have written about this before, but it saddens me in the smallest of ways that people who love each other rely only on saying "Love ya!" to each other but can't seem to bring themselves to say "I love you". Perhaps the same reason I react that way is the reason people are hesitant to say it - it is so much more meaningful and even leaves one vulnerable to not getting the return "I love you", because if you don't get it back, "that's a pretty big matzo ball hanging out there."

And along those same lines, at least in my mind, is the topic of The Hug. To me, there is only one kind of acceptable hug, and that is an all-in, full body, at least from the waist up, embrace. If one isn't comfortable with what might seem invasive, that's fine, but should be communicated. If the hug is going to just be some version of a lean in, or a mild touching of shoulders, then it feels like a weak, floppy handshake, which we've all experienced.

You are now encouraged to leave Jamie World.