Good Morning,
Last week my friend posted on facebook that she was missing hugs. At first I thought she was just kidding cause she never seemed much of a hugger to me. I wondered if she was being sarcastic or ironic so I texted her and said, " Were you kidding about being a hugger?" And she texted back "No, I love hugs. I just held back cause I knew you weren't a hugger." I like that about her. She understood. Some of us are huggers and some of are not so much.
For quite a few years I have not been a hugger. I know, it surprises me too. I used to be a hugger but somewhere along the way I became less and less comfortable with it. I only wanted to hug people when I felt a certain immediacy. Of course, I love to hug my kids and family. I need to feel really comfortable with someone before the hugging starts.
Of course Covid has changed all the hugging and hand shaking. We don't make any physical contact with each other out of concern for our own and other's personal safety. Now we have to social distance.
I don't have to get all stiff and rigid anymore when I go somewhere and wonder if it is going to be a hugging event. There is no worry about being caught off guard by a big unexpected hug.
I have always understood huggers. I used to be one when I was young. I get it, that desire to reach out and share your warmth. I know that feeling. I feel it sometimes too. Us non huggers sometimes get a bit of bad press as being distant or cool, but we are not. We are just more comfortable with a little space around us. We still feel that warmth, we just don't express it with a hug. We express it in words. small kindnesses, smiles, and lots of other ways.
This year we have all had to hold back on so many levels. We have missed the chance to share our love, to be with grandchildren, to share meals with friends, to gather, to be together. Weddings, graduations, funerals, the things that mark our lives have slipped by quietly, or been forsaken. We have lost our rituals. We have all had losses, some much deeper than others.
Even the simple hug between friends and loved ones has had to be set aside. All of this has happened in our effort to protect one another. We have kept our distance because we love.
The other night I got a text from Joe who works with me. It said, "Hug rugs, we are all missing hugs."
I thought to myself, "We are, we are all missing hugs, even you Deanne, you are missing that connection."
He said "A rug is kinda like a hug, soft and warm. It's been such a tough year, wouldn't it be great if we could mail each other hugs?"
And I thought, "We should do that!" Let's start a "Hug in a Rug" project. So we are startng it this week in the studio and on our Wild with Wool Facebook Page. I am including a set of downloadable patterns ( See below ) and tags here for you to use if you want to make some. The idea is that instead of a hug you can mail 4 by 4 inch mug rugs to people you care about...a hug in a rug.
I know so many of you love to give because that love is part of making. It is part of who we are as makers. We have this need to share ourselves and we pour ourselves into our rugs. These little 4 by 4 inch mug rugs are a great way to send someone you know a little hug in the mail. If you want you can join us on the facebook page a share your hug in a rugs there.
Thanks for Reading, I am glad you are there. Warm thoughts for you,
Deanne
PS. DFS Design School is now available if you want to learn how to design your own hooked rugs. It is only available for a limited time.
