Before Buddy the Elf was a twinkle in anyone’s imagination, there was Laurie. (If you haven’t seen Elf, add it to your Christmas movie list! And trust me when I tell you, hugs are his favorite.)

Laurie and I worked at the same retirement community ages ago. Among other responsibilities, Laurie was in charge of coordinating move-ins and helping people get situated in their new homes. But what I recall most about Laurie is that she owned Hug Day. Every Wednesday, she’d offer residents a cheery “Happy Hug Day!” and give them a friendly squeeze. To my knowledge, Hug Day wasn’t an official activity, just a weekly kindness Laurie took seriously.

Looking back, I wonder how many of Laurie’s “hug-ees” might have needed a hug. Who in her path could’ve been feeling blue, missing their loved one’s touch, or just longing to be seen and held?

Laurie and I haven’t seen each other in 25 years, but often she comes to mind when I’m with my friend Darla. Darla’s superpower is hugging. She has this keen insight into knowing who around her needs a hug, and she offers them freely and without reservation. If hugging were an Olympic sport, she’d win gold. When you’re on the receiving end of a Darla hug, you feel better instantly. It’s like a shot of vitamin B without the sting. Are you getting the picture? (If you’ve ever had the chance to meet (in)courage contributor, Anna Rendell, you know that hugging is one of her superpowers, too.)

This year at Community Bible Study, Darla is my core group leader. It’s a treat for us to get to be together on a weekly basis, mining God’s Word and talking through the deep things of faith with a room full of sisters growing closer to Jesus, together.

When I walked into our small group last week, I knew I was on edge. I had received some hard news the night before, and my heart was fragile. I thought I could slap a smile on my face and get through group time without anyone knowing. But when a friend seated across the room asked me a simple question, I cracked. Tears surfaced as I shook my head and answered, “I’m okay…I just can’t talk about it right now.”

She nodded in understanding. In the way women get women, everyone who saw our exchange felt my pain. Including Darla.

Up Darla stood, softly declaring, “I’m about to make this worse.”

Darla delivered what she promised…please click here to continue reading. 

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