We know that from our very first breath to our very last breath, we need human contact. Deeper than a want, it truly is an essential need.
    We see how infants thrive with loving connections, how parents and caregivers are encouraged to have skin on skin time with the wee ones, even when there are tubes and wires in the picture. And we know too well the longing, need, that our elders and ill  have for a hug and a hand to hold.
    Not everyone is privileged to have a supportive family; physical distances and emotional distances prevent regular contact. Here’s the place where friendships excel. First, we do get to choose our friends, and we do get the opportunity to interact with them — either through the workplace, the gym, or the coffee shops. It is heart warming to watch a group of individuals sharing time and thoughts — connecting.
    I swing back to the human contact thought. Safe hugs are becoming more common. With the work I am privileged to do, I give, and receive wonderful hugs. I can feel an energy shift when I am greeted  with a hug before a service; I am encouraged and strengthened. And as I gather with families the hugs are also shared energy, me offering my strength, granting them a moment to feel frail and sad, safely. And the Sunday morning hugs! We have worshipped together, prayed and praised together, and now rejoice in friendships and shared values. I am a hugger… a safe hugger.
    Preschool and daycare were not a part of my childhood. Cousins were! And they became my playmates and lifelong friends. We share a history of experiences and people. Some school friendships last for a lifetime. I admire and respect that. I have relocated a number of times and have lost touch with old neighbours and classmates.Not for a moment have I forgotten them! We made a hat full of memories; curling bonspiels, track and field days, youth group gatherings and community celebrations. There were ten of us students that moved from grade two to twelve almost together, I know their names though I have not a clue where they are, what they do (I imagine retired!!) or if they are still with us.
As a parent I got to know other parents, some developed into friendships. I entered into community life, and here too, created some friendships. We all get/got  so busy with life and living that maintaining a friendship sometimes became too much work.
    And now I am old. Friendships are the gold in the golden years! We may not have shared other parts of our lives, but now we have time, and the need, for each other. I am so blessed with friends of many ages and stages. I miss, fiercely, the women who I considered my mentors, and, in turn, I have become a mentor to others. My young friends think young and allow me that freedom. With others we commiserate about our aches and pains, and forgetfulness! Each day I give thanks for the circle of friends that bless me with their time and energy… and their hugs!