Have You Hugged Someone Today?

Today was Halloween, and as I’ve blogged about before, this is not my favourite day of the year. As someone who appreciates routine and enjoys the quiet, I actually find this holiday to be rather stressful. While I know that the treats and costumes are enjoyable for many, I also know that the extra sugar, the different schedule, and sometimes even the stressors of the costumes themselves, can make the day a more challenging one.

It was a handful of students that really turned things around for me this year. Just after the first nutrition break, I was sitting out at my favourite spot in the hall — waiting for a small group of students to head to the music room — when I heard them coming out of the classroom. The children were walking in line behind the music teacher, and as usual, many of them stopped to wave and/or say “hello” to me. Today though, one child, after he said, “hello,” walked out of line, came back to me, bent down, and gave me a big hug. Three other children did the same. I totally didn’t expect this. As strange as it seems, and totally unbeknownst to them, I think that these hugs changed things for me.

As the day went on, the sugar took effect, the routine changes started to make an impact, and …

  • the children got louder,
  • the tears started,
  • the classroom cleanup took longer than usual,
  • the packing up seemed like an impossible task,
  • and staying still was a struggle,

I thought again about what the four children did, and somehow, everything seemed better. Sometimes it’s the smallest acts that have the biggest impact. Have you hugged someone today? This morning, I was reminded that both adults and children benefit from knowing somebody cares.

Aviva

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