How To Hug

Tonight, after I put Garrett to bed, I was walking down the hall, away from his room and he said, "Mommy, wait, I need a hug." I returned to his room, sat on his bed, and he leaned into me, arms limply by his side.

I then realized that he doesn't know how to hug.
He has been hugged a zillion times in his seven years of life.
But he doesn't hug back. He just leans into us.

So I decided then and there that I needed him to know how to hug correctly. And yes, it is selfish. I NEED a hug from the kiddo. So I stayed there a minute and talked about how to wrap arms around me and SQUEEZE. Squeeeeeze, Garrett!!! He did it. Awkward, unnatural, but he did it.

It was just a bit of a reality check of his mental state that he had to learn something we take for granted.
That's all. It's a huge deal, this whole journey is. But tonight we took one more small step towards trying to help him fit in.

Just like I have to wrap my arms around Christ and squeeze.........we all have to learn to hug.


Godspeed,
CL