"Hug Your Friends"

"Hug your friends." What does it mean? It means to literally hug your friends, right? Well yes, but it can also have so many more meanings than that. This week's blog post is a little more serious because this is something I've had on my mind lately. I saw this picture this past week on Instagram, and I scrolled right past it; reading what it said, but not really giving it much thought. Days later, I saw it on other media platforms, and not just once, but multiple times. I thought more about this, and I soon came to realize that it means than just three words. It means more than its literal meaning; in fact, it means a whole lot of things. What it means to other people will vary, so perceive how you wish. But I want to talk about what it means to me.

To me, this phrase means to never take your friends (or anyone for that matter) for granted. Check on your friends. Tell them you love them. Invest your time in them. Call them just to say hi. Take a picture with them, it doesn't matter how bad you look. Hang out with them. Listen to them. Laugh with them, and I mean laugh so hard that your stomach hurts. Cry with them. Dance with them. Sing with them. Hug them. To me, my friends are more than my friends. They are my people to talk to; my shoulder to cry on; my listeners when I vent to them about the most ridiculous stuff; the people I scream songs to at the top of my lungs; the people I celebrate with; the people I chill with; the people who understand me when it seems like no one else does; the people who are there for my highest highs and my lowest lows. They are my friends, my second family. This phrase tells me to cherish every single moment you have with the people around you. Take it all in, and live in the moment. Look at that person in the eye and realize how much they mean to you, and how incredibly grateful you are for them.

So I ask of you, however you might perceive it, and whatever this means to you: "Hug your friends."