Hugging Meditation

I have started reading and listening to the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.  I feel like this is going to be a very integral part of my Kung Fu journey.  So many things have resonated with me already.  One thing he talks about is “hugging meditation” and this particular topic brought me to tears.

I don’t see my mom often. She is very important to me, but we live far apart.  I miss her presence very much.  Twice, maybe 3 times a year we see her.   She is the one that taught me to “talk to the universe”.  She has always been so gentle and patient, kind and accepting. When we visit, she insists on a hug upon arrival. Then before bed. Then in the morning. Then before bed. And so on.  I will tease her about it.  Pretend to pull away. Joke.....When what she needs is for me to just hug her.  To feel that connection with her daughter.  And really, I need that too.  There is nothing like the bond between parent and child.  As I face new challenges with my own kids, I realize how hard it must have been for her and the suffering she must have experienced.  I never appreciated my mom as much as when I became one myself.  I couldn’t imagine being so far away and feeling like I wasn't a real part of their lives.  If it were me, the only thing I would want to do when with them would be to hold them...to connect...every chance I got.  Nobody knows how many chances we will each have in a lifetime.  Practicing hugging meditation is a means to connect with someone in a very real way.  Or perhaps it's more accurate to say it's a means to acknowledge and feel the connection that is always there...but it gets pushed aside during life's many distractions.  We are always connected...we just rarely take the time to enjoy it.

The next time I hug my mom, I will be present for it.