It starts with a hug
As a new immigrant to England, I've noticed that greetings here are quite different compared to South America where I'm from. In my home country, we greet each other with a kiss and a hug, while in other parts of Europe, people even kiss up to three times to seal the deal among friends and relatives.
Recently, I listened to a podcast called "How to Build a Happy Life" [1] and it introduced me to a simple yet effective formula for happiness: eight hugs a day. While it might be easy for me to achieve that in Venezuela, where hugging is a common practice, I know that it might be challenging for some of us who are now more conscious of germs having been told to avoid physical contact during the pandemic.
However, as we navigate these challenging times, I believe that we should not forget the importance of deepening our relationships with our loved ones and even strangers. So, my advice to my fellow readers is this: let's start with a hug. Give eight hugs a day to your family and friends to spread some love and happiness. Ironically, having shut down societies for months on end, health authorities are now expressing concern over a ‘pandemic of loneliness’ that can be as deadly as any physical illness[2], and this is a vital area which the Church needs to address.[3] Hugs, and other physical contact, are a good way to address the relational poverty all around us.
In a world that can often be divisive and filled with hate, our love and kindness can be a powerful witness to others (John 13:35). When we love others as Jesus loved us, we demonstrate the transformative power of faith and in return, we become happier.
Ruben Alarcon
[1][1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/0dg6XD949Kp60Gsm8Wbl2H?si=IVczALfAQ4u_Wzrt0hzxbg
[1][3] Patrick Parkinson, 2022, The loneliness of the digitally connected, Cambridge Papers, December.
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Jubilee Centre or its trustees.