The language of a hug

It's an odd thing, we sit in our cars and talk at the radio (can one talk to a radio?) and we talk to people on the TV as we iron (we shout out answers they cannot hear, we criticize their singing, we may even warn them against the dubious wisdom of searching the basement for that odd noise using only a mini torch and never, ever turning on a decent light), and yet we hardly ever talk to real people.  So, there we are, with thoughts and feelings and expressions and dreams swelling up in our heads, practically leaking out and we find a place to direct the seepage to.... some Tweet, some fb whilst we others blog.  Blog - what a word, so toiletry in its name, but Blog is as Blog is.

So I have moved from the comfortable settlement of voices in my head, to letting them out, run free little words, run as if your life depends on it. 

And I feel as if I am late.  I feel that I got to the party just as everyone else was singing the final song, just as the last fading balloon began to sink towards the floor.  And yet I am here, so I shall be content with that.

Isn't the word 'cuddle' just the most warm blanket sooth of a word?  It encompasses within it the very warmth of belonging, of love, of making the world OK.  And is a cuddle the same as a hug?  Sometimes yes, often no.  I sat my daughter, and on other times my son, upon my lap, within the embrace of a cuddle. Often I hugged them.  Well done and I love you hugs are a holding of soul to soul, for the briefest of moments.  I lassoo my children to share a hug, to give a cuddle.  It is the all of Love.  And yet.  Last week I stood and held one with a hug to keep out the bad people who would cause hurt and dstress.  Last night I held the other in a hug so tight that I felt the body of the hugged shake with deep and sad emotion.  These hugs say 'if only I could spare you from pain I would'.  At these moments love is not quite enough for it cannot heal.  And yet the hug, the love, is all we have to give and we hope that these, then, are the best of all hugs, the most important ones.