FREE HUGS!

Today, a friend and I made "abrazos gratis" (free hugs) signs and joined up with the Santiago group. The idea is to stand on a busy pedestrian walkway and offer free hugs to everyone who passes by. It was such an amazing afternoon. I hugged and hugged and hugged. I hugged old people, young people, men, women, kids, and babies. I hugged a woman with her arms full of shopping bags, a guy cleaning the street, a girl who was crying and her friend, teenagers dressed like an 80s punk band, and several people who said with tears in their eyes that they had really needed a hug today. One guy was so moved by getting a genuine hug from a total stranger that he returned with chocolates, telling me that they were a small sign of how much he appreciated what I was doing. In the few hours I was out there on the "mean streets" of Santiago, I probably hugged more than 100 people. My enthusiasm brought smiles to the faces of countless more, though it also inspired strange looks and bob-and-weave avoidance tactics! It was great fun and I left my corner feeling simultaneously exhausted and energized. That was more hugs than I got all last year. I love hugs. I'm definitely going back next weekend!!!

Click here to see a video of the group in action: http://youtube.com/watch?v=U2XgUIBYjhs