Hug it Out

How do you know when someone is a hugger or not?  Do you hug anyway?  Is there a hugging etiquette out there? 

I'm a hugger.  I love to hug.  I like to hug hello, goodbye, sorry to hear about that, yay for you and yours, etc.  Any occasion is a good time for a hug.

BUT there is always a little voice in my head that questions whether or not the recipient is happy to get hugged or not.  If you're hugging good-bye, do you have to hug EVERYONE or just a select few?  And how long is too long?  There's always that almost imperceptible shift when either the hugger or the huggee decide that it's been long enough and try to extricate themselves from the embrace. 

We had friends in Denver who were actually kissers.  Like smack dab on the mouth when they saw you.  They were from NYC, so maybe that's the way things are done out there, ehhh??  (Imagine Buddy Valastro saying that with an East Coast accent - not so much the Fonz). 

I have a friend who is most definitely NOT a hugger.  She looks completely uncomfortable when you make the move to hug her and just kind of gives you a pat on the back as she's searching for the exits with her eyes.  I've got other friends who hold on for dear life and you're considering gnawing off their arms to get them to let go.

My boys love hugs.  And I am taking advantage of it while I still can.  I know that eventually they will stop running for hugs from mom.  But for now...I will hug on them as much as possible!  Gotta get my fix somehow!  (J-bird ran up to me tonight for a quick hug after he hadn't seen me for a couple hours and I couldn't stop thinking about how sweet it was.  Had to write a post). :)